Chemical & Engineering News 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 Editor: Michael Heylin Assistant Managing Editors: James H. Krieger, Janice R. Long, Donald J. Soisson, William J. Storck Staff Editor: Ernest L. Carpenter Senior Editors: New York: Earl V. Anderson, Stephen C. Stinson; Chicago: Joseph Haggin; London: Patricia L. Layman; Washington: Doron Dagani, Lois R. Ember, Bette Hileman, Wilbert C. Lepkowski, Rebecca L. Rawls, Pamela S. Zurer Associate Editors: Stuart A. Borman, Mairin B. Brennan, Ann Marie Menting, Richard J. Seltzer Service Departments Editor: Dolores Miner Editing Services: Arlene Goldberg-Gist (Head), Rita E. Johnson (Editorial Assistant), Patricia Oates (Administrative Assistant) News Bureaus: Northeast News Bureau: (201) 9068300 Marc S. Reisch (Associate Editor), Ann M. Thayer (Associate Editor), Rachel Eskenazi (Administrative Assistant). Chicago: (708) 256-4143 Ward Worthy (Head). Houston: (713) 973-8161 Bruce F. Greek (Head), Susan J. Ainsworth, (Associate Editor). Washington: (202) 872-4495 David J. Hanson (Head). West Coast: (415) 653-3630 Rudy M. Baum (Head). Foreign Bureau: London: (01) 540-0414 Dermot A. O'Sullivan (Head) Graphics and Production: Leroy Corcoran (Head). Barbara Fryer (Art Director). Linda Mattingly (Staff Artist). Diane Kelly (Costing) Composition Systems Administrator: Vincent L. Parker. Assistant: Robin L. Shapiro Business Manager: Arthur Poulos Circulation Director: David Schulbaum ADVISORY BOARD: Dexter F. Baker, George M. Bodner, F. Peter Boer, Will D. Carpenter, Renee G. Ford, Ethan C. Galloway, Louis J. Glunz, Kenneth G. Hancock, Harry S. Hertz, Christopher T. Hill, Kendall N. Houk, Cynthia A. Maryanoff, Linda B. McGown, C. Bradley Moore, George B. Rathmann, David A. Shirley, Peter H. Spitz, Barry M. Trost Published by AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY (202) 872-4600; TDD (202) 872-4432 John Kistler Crum, Executive Director Robert H. Marks, Director, Publications Division PUBLISHING BOARD: J e a n n e M. Shreeve (Chairman); Board of Directors Chairman: Joseph A. Dixon; President: S. Allen Heininger; Richard L. Deming; William P. Jencks; Gary J. Long; and Louis D. Quin © Copyright 1991, American Chemical Society Subscription & Member Record Service: Send all new and renewal subscriptions with payments to: ACS, Dept. L-0011, Columbus, Ohio 432680011. Correspondence and telephone calls for changes of address, claims for missing issues, subscription orders, status of records and accounts should be directed to: Manager, Member & Subscriber Services, ACS, P.O. Box 3337, Columbus, Ohio 43210; (800) 333-9511 or (614) 447-3776. For 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 1991: Printed editions: nonmembers U.S. 1 yr. $95, 2 yr. $171; outside U.S. 1 yr. $131, 2 yr. $243. 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 2chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103, Japan. Tel: (03) 2727211. Single copies: Current $12. Rates for back issues and volumes are available from Microforms & Back Issues Office, ACS, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Back and current issues available on microfilm and microfiche. Rates on request from Microform Program, ACS. Chemical & Engineering News (ISSN 00092347) 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 Chemical & Engineering News, 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 96) Office of Ombudsman: (800) ACS-5558, No. 8 2
June 24, 1991 C&EN
LETTERS
important issues. The average number of years of graduate studies beyond a bachThere was a report (C&EN, April 15, elor's degree for a chemistry Ph.D. and page 12) on the results of two recent an M.D. degree is six and four years, regovernment studies of the effects of spectively. One could hardly find a docagent orange on Vietnam veterans. toral chemistry graduate without having C&EN's analysis of the two reports is had at least a couple of quality original m i s l e a d i n g . The first r e p o r t about scientific articles. Nevertheless, every2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin body knows of the differences in finan(TCDD) levels of personnel who partici- cial compensation and public image that pated in Operation Ranch Hand is only the physicians have achieved. a small percentage of the original study At the global level, we are entering an group: 866 out of 1242. If one half of the era when society at large should and 866 subjects were pilots and copilots, will realize that its most vital treasure is then only 50% of the group (console op- its intellectual resources. I believe we, erators and handlers) were heavily ex- within ACS, should work in a concerted posed to the herbicides. A poor exposure fashion to bring about similar fruits to index and too few study subjects do not our fellow colleagues. This should, in lead to statistically significant conse- turn, help the chemist shortage beyond quences. the year 2000. It is projected that by the The second part of the article general- year 2000, we as a nation could suffer a izes the results of the Department of shortfall of as many as over half a milVeterans Affairs adipose tissue study of lion science and engineering professiondeceased veterans. All 36 subjects are re- als if serious measures are not taken ported to be Vietnam veterans. Eight now. One of the most critical issues is served off-shore and two arrived in surely who will replace the currently acVietnam long after the spraying ceased. tive scientific community in the years Tissues were drawn from an unrepre- ahead. Many studies indicate that by the sented sample of data. year 2000, over three quarters of the net Had operational analysis techniques new entrants into the job market will be been applied when conducting the stud- women and minorities. So we should ies, the differences in the disease rates continue defining our positions and would have been more clear to the pub- plans to look at providing opportunities lic. The report about the two studies is and challenges for this majority of our not representative of the total Vietnam new work force. veteran population. This, the other main issue, is to proRichard S. Christian mote the recruitment and retention of Deputy Director for Research & Technology native U.S. chemistry students at various Assessment, Veterans Affairs & academic levels. I believe the federal and Rehabilitation, The American Legion state governments, private and corporate Washington, D.C. sectors, and the entire system of education—all in partnership—should work together in order to excite, attract, and retain a substantially higher number of stuFuture chemistry perspectives dents to the science and engineering disThe chemist, an extraordinary breed of ciplines in general and chemistry in parscientist, educator, and researcher, has ticular. Industry should further continue contributed tremendously toward the participating in this endeavor by develenhancement of living standards and to- oping open houses for students at all levward technological advances within the els, offering presentations to educational past 100 years. One can hardly find any area of science and technology, health, agriculture and food, alternative enerCorrection gies, manufacture of new products with • June 17, page 70: In the agenda the preservation of environmental qualfor the Committee on Constitution & ity in mind, and so forth, that has not Bylaws listed in the preliminary probeen affected by the very important role gram for the combined chemical conof chemists. gress and ACS national meeting in Such contributions have not, frankly, August, urgent action is requested on been fully recognized both in terms of the dues escalator provisions received monetary compensation and public imon 5 / 8 / 9 1 , not the provisions reage and acknowledgment. It is about time ceived on 12/26/90. that we, through ACS, take a clearer and more effective stand on these two very
Effects of agent orange
groups and the community at large. Corporate entities should also consider incentives for their about-to-be-retired scientists to join school systems on an adjunct basis for the promotion of science. Every chemist should participate and speak up in an activity of one sort or another on a pro bono basis, not only to improve chemistry's image, but also to contribute toward the enhancement of educational goals. These could range from becoming a member of various environmental advisory councils, to speaking and doing demonstrations for pre-K and higher students in local schools, to providing summer co-op positions to students in a research laboratory. The first chemistry course in high school must be based primarily on practical, real life applications of chemistry from agriculture to zoological ecology— not solely on theory. These issues must be addressed from the regional and national to even global levels. The ultimate objective is to enter the third millennium with broad, conscientious perspectives in the family of nations and to remain highly competitive. M. Ali NabiRahni Associate Professor of Chemistry Pace University, Pleasantville, N.Y. Chairman, Westchester Chemical Society
History of science course I read with interest Anna Harrison's comments on stereotyped entry-level science courses (C&EN, April 29, page 26) and the need for creative teaching. To that end, I would like to suggest an alternative to the more or less standard science for nonscientists courses that are generally a part of the graduation requirements at most four-year liberal arts colleges. At Western Maryland College, we recently added a course titled "The History of Scientific Thought" to our otherwise rather traditional collection of offerings for the nonmajor. Surprisingly, this course is attracting both science and nonscience majors. The title itself was designed to be less intimidating to the nonscientist in that it sounds more like a humanities course, and in some sense that notion is not altogether misleading. The course focuses on 40 readings from the original works of scientists from the disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics. The list for the period since the Middle Ages includes Bacon, Descartes, Copernicus, Newton, Priestley, Dalton, Cannizzaro,
Mendeleev, Lyell, Darwin, Pasteur, Faraday, Lister, Koch, Mendel, Curie, Einstein, McClintock, and Watson and Crick. These readings comprise the only text for the course. Lectures based on the original writings of other researchers and demonstrations a la Faraday supplement the text. The scientific integrity of the course resides in the expectation that students grapple with the extraction of scientific principles from original experiments, as well as understand where these findings fit in the development of our present theories about biology, chemistry, and physics. The approach of the course, therefore, aims not only to present basic scientific knowledge, but also to convey a sense of the dynamic nature of science. Upon reflection, it occurs to us that a course in the history of science could greatly benefit not only nonscience majors, but also most science majors as well. Lamentably, many science majors fail to gain a balanced understanding of science from the present "this is the way it is" courses for majors. Currently, students have little knowledge of how the debates between rival theories—like the particle versus wave nature of light, or the mechanism-vitalism controversy over life processes—have marked the progress of science. Without such an understanding, how can we expect either the scientist or the nonscientist to cope with the popular press' presentation of such issues as cold fusion, cholesterol, low-frequency radiation, and creationism? Without some degree of skepticism and critical evaluation, we all are at the mercy of the next report on the nightly news. Another benefit to the historical approach is that students are confronted with natural philosophers. This means they encounter a significant number of men and women whose training and research not only cut across the artificial boundaries between today's scientific disciplines, but even extend into the realms of sociology, history, philosophy, and (perish the thought) religion. They encounter scientists versed in several foreign languages as well as in literature and history. They can note, for instance, the insightful coining of new words: Witness Clausius' derivation of "entropy" (rjTpoirr]) and Liebig and Wohler's synthesis of "benzoyl" (benzo-vXr]). This broadly educated model of a scientist is too often far removed from today's technically proficient but narrowly focused student. Are we doing a disser-
vice to our students by not preparing them to cope with the rapidly changing cross-disciplinary nature of science? Who can disagree, for example, with the realization that tomorrow's organic chemist will be at a real disadvantage without at least a rudimentary understanding of biology and biochemistry, not to mention physics and quantum mechanics? Recently, a science major expressed a desire to take the history of scientific thought because, "I always wanted to know more about where all of this stuff came from, but they only give us bits of it in our regular courses." Perhaps she is trying to tell us something about the way we should be teaching science to the next generation of scientists and nonscientists alike. Richard H. Smith Jr. Professor of Chemistry Western Maryland College Westminster, Md.
Contract worker safety Susan Ainsworth's article on the contract worker safety study (C&EN, May 6, page 23) doesn't really do justice in identifying the problems that have beset John Gray Institute's (JGI) study and the national steering committee appointed to guide the effort. Behind-the-scenes politicking by some steering committee members and the attendant h i d d e n agendas did not initially slow the study. Everyone recognized that this firstone-of-a-kind study, put together by Gerard Scannell, assistant secretary of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, had the potential to make meaningful contributions to an improvement in worker safety—not just in the petrochemical and chemical industry, but in all occupations. There was (and for some there still is) an exciting feeling that, in spite of seemingly diverse constituencies, labor and industry could make it happen. But alas, it was not to be. Labor has left the national steering committee, industry has been charged with delaying tactics, and JGI has been subjected to intense scrutiny by rather provincial political allegations. Aside from this all too typical political posturing and maneuvering by special interests, there are credibility issues to deal with in reporting the data gathered from the survey. Several conclusions reported in the preliminary JGI report were not then, and are not now, supContinued on page 86 June 24, 1991 C&EN
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Letters Continued from page 3 ported by the data collected during the plant manager's survey. Wade Clifton of Southwest Econometrics, who conducted the survey and tabulated the data, and other members of the steering committee have elaborated on these points a number of times. Yet, JGI has permitted these misconceptions to persist. The continued publication of these conclusions serves no purpose but to support a priori conclusions formed without the benefit of the study. John Calhoun Wells, JGI president, says, "The findings [of the study] are going to be significant/' Significant to whom? Labor has left the steering committee and industry will not, and should not, accept an antiindustry bias in the conclusions of the report. As for myself, one of two original steering committee members not representing a special interest group, I still hope that all concerned will use this very valuable data to improve worker safety. The opportunity still exists to make this process work. But labor leaders must return to the steering committee and stop counting union cards. Industry executives must stop looking at worker safety as a balance sheet item, and JGI's only objective, in both the front and back room, should be to provide recommendations to OSHA to improve worker safety, be they contract or company employees. John M. Hoffmann President, Safety Engineering Labs Member, Steering Committee, Petrochemical Industry Contract Worker Safety Study
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June 24, 1991 C&EN
A plethora of letters to the editor of C&EN have recently addressed the issues of the length of time to complete the Ph.D., the shortage of Ph.D. chemists alleged to exist, and the lack of respect that we receive from the public. I would like to share some of my experiences, plus provide insight in an arena in which ACS should be more active: the professional rights of all chemists. I consider myself to have been extremely fortunate in several senses. My undergraduate experience was positive, as I attended a university that prided itself on outstanding instruction. Professors were available at virtually any time during the day. Research was performed by many of these professors, but the primary function of these people was education. After I received my B.S., I was not ready to embark upon the original research necessary to achieve a Ph.D. More than a year as an industrial lab Continued on page 94
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Letters Continued from page 86 technician convinced me to resume my education. The professor who took me on as a graduate student was new to this university too. A close student-mentor relationship is one of the key aspects of the research experience. My motivation to succeed, pride, and the drive to please him enabled me to complete the Ph.D. in four years to the day. The struggle in my postdoctoral years was not so pleasant. For many positions, I was just another anonymous face in the crowd. As the rejection letters stacked up, I reflected on whether nearly a decade of post-high school education/ work experience was worth it. The ultimate indignity of prolonged unemployment or underemployment is the loss of independence. No matter how much love for chemical science I had, I still had to clothe, feed, and shelter myself. When my funds were gone, the choice was either public assistance or a return to my parents' home. I opted for the latter. After paying a hefty headhunter finders fee, I obtained full-time employment at a parochial high school. This was w h e n I h a d reached the bottom. Unruly students, a buck-passing administration, and a hideously low salary combined to create a situation that had gone from bad to worse. Within a few weeks of receiving my termination letter, I had obtained two interviews for academic positions. One of these I was able to secure. I wondered then how there could possibly be a shortage of Ph.D.-level chemists. This academic post and the next one I attained did not last long. I taught in the manner to which I had become accustomed, but my growth was stifled at practically every turn by two administrations that were overly concerned with image. Myopia of day-to-day classroom activity was one thing, but feigning science literacy was unacceptable. When I began my present position, I was finally being paid at the "appropriate level" on the ACS salary scale. Although this is the best position I have ever had, I still ponder from time to time on whether the struggle was worth it. On one hand, I am able to support a family; but on the other hand, I have given up on work in academia for now. The publish or perish scenario at this nation's major schools is not for me, just as the experiences that I have mentioned were not acceptable at those times. This is where ACS must come to the fore. As a dues-paying member, I have enjoyed receiving ACS journals and attending local and national meetings. However, chemistry is a profession, just like dentistry, law, and medicine. Items reported in Newscripts' Flotsam and Jet-
sam of untruths passed on to the public indicate that professional chemists are important. An organization that touts itself as the world's largest professional society should be able to project this. (The American Dental Association, American Bar Association, and American Medical Association routinely espouse the professional fitness of their respective members.) The chemist as a professional in every possible way is an issue whose time has come. It is ACS that must champion the professional, not divine, rights of all chemists. David M. Manuta Portsmouth, Ohio
Attitude toward education If the minorities are underrepresented in science due to poverty, then science ought to be overstocked with wealthy WASPs—which is not the case. I, like many who grew up during the depression, was poor. We believed that education was the way out of poverty, and we were correct. Many of my colleagues had parents who were either illiterate recent immigrants or had been forced by their own poverty to drop out of school to earn a living. Yet, these parents recognized the importance of education and made sure that their children went to college and beyond. Family background and attitude toward education, not wealth, have been and always will be the foundation for the formation of the interest, aptitude, and character that are necessary for entering the professions requiring higher education. Families, minority or not, that have acquired these attitudes, will find their children progressing on the road to professional careers. Howard Sorkin Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
Alternative to homochiral Joseph Gal (C&EN, May 20, page 42) is right in saying t h e word unichiral would be easily recognized by any chemist as meaning enantiomerically pure. However, at the risk of being accused of purism, I would suggest that the word is a Latin-Greek hybrid, and that since we are committed to t h e Greek part, "chiral," we should make it all Greek by saying "monochiral." By the way, what about calling "unimacular" a sample that on chromatography gives only one spot? Jose Castrillon Associate Professor and Chairman University of Texas Pan American Edinburg, Tex.
