NEWS ^rc&ai What do you do when you need high purity high quality bulk chemicals
Patent Office has Hackh's The U.S. Patent Office library, whose inventory of chemical dictionaries has suffered sporadic criticism (C&EN, Sept. 29, 1969, page 7 0 ) , has had the 1969 edition of "Hackh's Chemical Dictionary'' (McGraw-Hill) since late last year and now must worry only about thieves and vandals. The 1969 or 4th edition of Hackh's does not include pronunciations, a practice started with the 1944 or 3rd edition. The preface to the 3rd edition said that pronunciations "can be of little real use while every chemist remains a law unto himself on sucmatters (sic)." It's hardly sporting to point out the odd typographical error in a work as massive and complex as a chemical dictionary, but the 4th edition of Hackh's has one, too, on page 664. Otherwise it seems to be okay.
Why college students don't like science
You could build your own manufacturing p l a n t - i f you wanted to invest the capital, wait until it was completed, develop your process, absorb the overhead... or You could put the experience, the imagination, the facilities and personnel at Arapahoe to work for. you immediately! Arapahoe has the reputation of producing high purity and high quality chemicals - s o you know when results depend on Arapahoe-produced materials, they will be " o n the button." And-Arapahoe is registered with the FDA. For more information on how you can benefit from Arapahoe pure, high-quality chemical manufacturing, contact:
flflflPfltiOt'
cutmicflLS
Division of Syntex Corporation . 2855 Walnut St., Boulder, Colorado 80301 . 4CC0/2 56 C&EN AUG. 31, 1970
The August issue of Science Forum (1) carries a pungent piece by graduate student David Rogers of the University of Toronto on hostility to science in the university. Physicist Rogers treats mainly hostility among nonscience majors. He exemplifies the problem with an excerpt from a student evaluation of a physics course at the University of Toronto: "His teaching of the course compared with Richard Burton trying to give a dramatic reading of a firstgrade reader . . . . A one-year course like this one should be a last-ditch attempt to resurrect some enthusiasm for the subject rather than this boot in our scholarly as we cop out of the subject." The point, Mr. Rogers argues, is that most professors of science, no matter how dedicated, are trying to teach the wrong thing to nonscience majors. At his own school, he says, the nonscience majors get the same
COMING
by K. M. Reese
physics courses as the physics majors, but watered down to the estimated level of "stupidity" of the class at hand. When this doesn't work, the blame is laid either to poor teaching or to lazy students. Nonscience majors are plenty smart enough to understand the sciences, Mr. Rogers contends, but they must be taught courses tailored to their needs and background. This requires a complete change in emphasis in such courses as they are now normally taught. Developing such courses is difficult and time consuming, but some teachers have done it. Mr. Rogers mentions two examples: a course described by Ernest Pollard in the January 1970 issue of The Physics Teacher; and a course taught by biologist Barry Commoner at Washington University (St. Louis). Rogers does get slightly carried away in his peroration: "If students are ever going to appreciate science, we as scientists must orient science toward the benefit of all mankind; not just toward our own country's wealth and economy, or for the benefit of the upper- and middle-income classes or the aims of those who want instant results from research, but toward the future benefit of all men." Holy mackerel! What does he want people to do? Take up Christianity or something? (1) Published by the University of Toronto Press. A Canadian journal of science and technology (Revue canadienne des sciences pures et appliquees).
Economics from the hip "I do note one redeeming feature: the more underdeveloped the country the more overdeveloped the women." Galbraith, J. K., "Ambassador's Journal," p. 90, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1969.
NEXT
WEEK
Facts & Figures C&EN's annual review of the chemical industry, including financial analysis of 130 companies. Price trends show a modestly encouraging firmness but profits are poor. A separate issue, also dated Sept. 7
