EDITORIALLY S P E A K I N G
a g e one of a new volume has arrived once more. Again we yield to what is becoming a habit: having a New Year's family chat with our readers. It is gratifying t o be able t o make a few reflections about growth. Everything about the JOURNALOF CHEMICAL EDUCATION seems to crow except that suhscription price! Balanced increases in various directions are so necessary in order t o make possible the most important: increased value t o readers. Volume 40 provided readers with nearly 10% more editorial material than did Volume 39. This was made possible by an increase in advertising so that our favorable ratio types of content could be maintained. Parenthetically, we might mention the comment of several readeis during the year who feel that J . CHEM.ED.ads are some of the most significant news items a teacher can read. We hope they tell the advertisers so too! Another increase lhiit helps tln~Iml:iiu-(2is T I N - iiumber of nrvv irinid- ulio -t:~r~cdtlu'ir siilwrip~ioiisin Illti;!. Thcsr- arc I I I I I I I \ , ior oiir li,t t . i >1iinih ~ ar ipt*.ik or' over 17,700 141l0 more than a t the same time last year. A phenomenon complementary to growth is change, Some changes are subtle, others obvious. We hope all are in the spirit of experimentation that will produce the best results. Even change for change's sake can be valuable if it is a legitimate attempt to be interesting A new Chem Ed Feature is inaugurated with this issue. This is the series which appears under the title "Safety in the Chemical Laboratory" (see page A27). The editor responsible for this material matches his enthusiasm with his competence, Norman V. Steere of the University of Minnesota. He plans contributions based on his experience as a safety engineer and in cooperation with the National Safety Council. The proposed list of titles reflects the hope that realism and practicality will provide information for making laboratories safe for students. Those planning new facilities also should find valuable suggestions in forthcoming articles on such themes as "Ventilation,"
-
-
"Fire Protected Storage for Chemicals," "Fire Extinguishers and Extinguishing Systems," "Safe Handling of Compressed Gas Cylinders," and others. Another change deserves note and commendation. Prof. W. G. Kessel is taking a well-earned respite from his service as editor of the "Out of the Editor's Basket" Feature. He started this feature in 1954, and for nine years has faithfully never missed a deadline. The amount of material he has reviewed, in the form of press releases, brochures, and booklets, would be a stack nearly 50 ft. high. Adding to this, he has been active on other working committees of the Division of Chemical Education and is beginning his second term as Treasurer. His mantle as reviewer of the Editor's Basket contents has fallen on excellently qualified shoulders. We welcome Prof. James A. Goldman, a contributor t o these pages, from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. His first coverage and evaluation of newsworthy technical literature appears on page A43. The Chemical Projects Feature has run its course, at least for the present. An impressive total of these "Research Ideas for Young Chemists" has appeared over the past three years. We are sure that the potential quality of Chemical Science Fairs has been improved by this thoughtful effort by Prof. Jay A. Young of Kings College in collaboration with Dr. John K. Taylor of the National Bureau of Standards Our files are full of articles which we hope readers will find valuable as additions to their "Living Textbook of Chemistry." Soon to appear will be "Rocket Propulsion: The Chemical Challenge," "The Sequence Rule: A System for Specification of Absolute Configuration," and papers from the symposium on "Three dimensional Chemistry." Along with these is the consistent collection of papers describing new experiments, demonstrations, textbook errors, and such items of what we hope readers find to be a good steady diet. Thanks, friends-we hope you will remain so.
Volume 41, Number 1 , January 1964
/
1
