Chemical & Engineering News 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 Editor: Michael Heylin Assistant Managing Editors: David M. Kiefer, James H. Krieger, Donald J. Soisson Staff Editor: Ernest L. Carpenter Senior Editors: New York: Earl V. Anderson, William F. Fallwell; Chicago: Joseph Haggin; Washington: Lois R. Ember, Wilbert C. Lepkowski, Rebecca L. Rawls, Howard J. Sanders Associate Editors: Doron Dagani, Bette Hileman, Richard J. Seltzer, Pamela S. Zurer Assistant Editor: Mairin B. Brennan Service Departments Editor: Theresa L. Rome Editing Services: Joyce A. Richards (Head), Dolores Miner (Editorial Assistant), Patricia Oates (Program Assistant) News Bureaus: New York: (212) 697-3223 William J. Storck (Business Editor), Stephen C. Stinson and David Webber (Associate Editors). Chicago: (312) 236-7325 Ward Worthy (Head). Houston: (713) 973-8161 Bruce F. Greek (Head). Washington: (202) 872-4496 Janice R. Long (Government Editor), David J. Hanson (Associate Editor). West Coast: (415) 665-4971 Rudy M. Baum (Head). Foreign Bureau: London: (01) 540-0414 Dermot A. O'Sullivan (Head), Patricia L. Layman (Associate Editor) Indexer: Nancy R. Gleboff Graphics and Production: Elmer M. Pusey Jr. (Head). Leroy Corcoran (Manager). Alan Kahan (Art Director). Barbara Hayes Fryer (Designer). Linda Mattingly (Staff Artist). Diane K. Lilienkamp (Costing). Business Manager: Arthur Poulos Circulation Development: Cynthia G. Smith ADVISORY BOARD: Robert A. Alberty, John I. Brauman, George E. Brown Jr., Catherine Fenselau, Mary Good, Harry B. Gray, S. Allen Heininger, Ray R. Irani, W. Thomas Lippincott, John M. Logsdon, Peter J. Lucchesi, Kurt Mislow, H. Barclay Morley, George C. Pimentel, Bryant W. Rossiter, H. F. Tomfohrde III, Mark S. Wrighton Published by AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY (202) 872-4600; TDD (202) 8/2-8733 John Κ Crum, Executive Director EDITORIAL BOARD: John G. Verkade (Chair man); Board of Directors Chairman: Paul V. Smith Jr.; President-Elect: Ellis K. Fields; Immediate Past-Pres ident: Fred Basolo; Steven D. Ittel; Richard M. Lemmon; John H. Nelson; Louis D. Quin © Copyright 1984, American Chemical Society Subscription Service: Send all new and renewal subscriptions with payment to: Director of Finan cial Operations, ACS, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Correspondence and telephone calls for changes of address, claims for missing issues, subscription service, status of rec ords and accounts should be directed to: Manager, Membership & Subscription Services, ACS, P.O. Box 3337, Columbus, Ohio 43210; (614) 421-3776. Changes of Address: Include both old and new addresses with ZIP code numbers and mailing label from a recent issue. Allow four weeks for change to become effective. Claims for missing numbers will not be allowed if loss was due to failure of notice of change of address to be received in the time specified; if claim is dated (a) North America: more than 90 days beyond issue date, (b) all other foreign; more than one year beyond issue date; or if the reason given is "missing from files." Subscription Rates 1984. Printed or microfiche editions: nonmembers U.S. 1 yr. $35, 2 yr. $66; outside U.S. 1 yr. $59, 2 yr. $114. Air freight rates available on request. Rates above do not apply to nonmember subscribers in Japan, who must enter subscription orders with Maruzen Co. Ltd., 3-10 Nihonbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103, Japan. Tel: (03) 272-7211. Single copies: Current $2.50. Rates for back issues and volumes are available from Distribution Office, ACS, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. An annual index is available for $35 at the same address. Back and current issues available on microfilm and micro fiche. Contact Microform Program, ACS. Chemical & Engineering News (ISSN 0009-2347) is published weekly except for the last week in December by the American Chemical Society at 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Second-class postage paid at Washington, D.C, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Membership & Subscription Services, P.O. Box 3337, Columbus, Ohio 43210. ACS assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by the contributors to its publications. Advertising Management CENTCOM LTD. (For list of offices see page 55) 4
December 3, 1984 C&EN
LEUERS
Ranking humanities and foreign languages SIR: In the evaluation of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum (C&EN, Oct. 22, page 21), the humanities and foreign languages ranked rather low. And yet these very areas enable the student to develop his/her imagi nation, which, to quote Einstein "is more im portant than knowledge." The imaginative breakthroughs in the development of the modern quantum theory of the atom were made by young men, Schroedinger, Heisenberg et al., who had had nine years of Latin and six years of Greek in their gymnasia, which correspond to our college-prep schools. This background was also evident in their later writings on the philosophical aspects of science. Foreign language study is an excellent mechanism to stimulate the imagination be cause every language views some aspects of reality in a manner different from others. Horace phrased it: "Quantae linguae, tantae personae"—as many languages as you know, so many persons are you. German has the added advantage that it is also of practical value to the chemist. Despite the fact that the next edition of Beilstein will be published in English (spanning the litera ture from 1960 to 1979), the vast majority of compounds synthesized before 1960 cannot be ignored and can be found only in the German volumes of Beilstein. Due to our neglect of instruction in modern languages, which has its roots in high school curricula, few of our chemists can lecture on their research findings in a language other than English. Fortunately, other countries have seen to it that their students learn En glish, which enables them to understand U.S. lecturers when they travel abroad, and which also enables them to present their research in English when they visit us. George J. Beichl Chairman, Department of Chemistry St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia
Programs developed by chemists SIR: In the Oct. 8 issue of C&EN, page 18, you state in an article about software designed to analyze FT-NMR data: "NMR1 and NMR2, its developmental two-dimensional cousin, are the children of chemistry professors George C. Levy and Charles L. Dumoulin." I can't help but wonder what the casual observer must think of the relationship between these two scientists. This liaison has apparently pro
duced entities which are both siblings and cousins. Perhaps the reader might reach the con clusion that these programs are illegimate. The reader is also prompted to ponder the me chanics of giving birth to a program (Does it hurt?), and to consider the proper way to raise it (Will it ever grow up and leave home?). Perhaps adoption papers rather than license agreements should be sent to the users of software. And what of the biological daughters of these two men? Should they be told when they are old enough that they have half brothers and sisters which we held in millions of bits by computers across the U.S.? The written word's power to create virtually any image in the reader's mind is astounding. Consequently, the responsibility of the re porter to correctly and precisely present in formation is immense. If care is not taken during the construction of prose as well as computer programs, results can be comical, nonsensical, or even tragic. C. L. Dumoulin General Electric Co., Schenectady, N.Y.
Digermene prepared at MIT SIR: I draw your attention to an error in the article entitled "Digermene retains double bond in solution" (C&EN, Oct. 8, page 17). The digermene referred to in the article was pre pared in my laboratory at Massachusetts In stitute of Technology, and its molecular structure was determined by routine x-ray analysis by David J. Williams at Imperial Col lege. Your article reads, "David J. Williams of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's chemistry department and his coworkers from Imperial College in London." Satoru Masamune Professor of Chemistry, MIT Cainbridge, Mass.
Bruce Morrison omitted SIR: Your analysis of scientifically oriented Congressmen in the Oct. 29 issue of C&EN, page 11, completely missed Bruce A. Morrison of Connecticut's Third District. With an S.B. in chemistry from MIT and an M.S. in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, Bruce certainly qualifies as a legislator with significant scientific credentials. Charles E. Kolb Director of Research and Vice President for Science & Technology Aerodyne Research, Billerica, Mass.
