#ChemSummer Carnival: Single-Substance Summer Song Playlist

Ahhh, summer. Sunshine, grilling outdoors, beach trips, and the ever-present summer music playlist.

You're no doubt familiar with the genre: 

Top 100 Smooth Jazz Elevator Classics! 

Top 50 Classic Rock Beach Anthems! 

Top 20 Best-of-the-Moment Blink-and-You'll-Miss-'Em Hits!

Well, with C&EN Benevolent Online Overlord Rachel calling a #ChemSummer blog carnival, how could I resist? Let's work together to build a chemistry-themed summer playlist!

Here are the rules for this one:

- To keep it interesting, nominate only single-word, single-substance song titles (Abbreviations are OK).

- No generic descriptors like "elements," "chemistry," "stuff," or "drugs."

- Commonly-used names, like "aspirin" in place of "acetylsalicylic acid" acceptable. 

- Since I'm running this show, I have final judgment over all entries. No whining.

I'll update the list as entries come in, assigning credit where due. Please check the (ever-growing) list to limit duplicate entries!

The 2013 Single-Word Single-Substance Summer Playlist

1. "Glycerine" - Bush

2. "Cocaine" - JJ Cale / Eric Clapton / The Cruel Sea

3. "Lithium" - Nirvana / Evanescence / The Hit House

4. "TNT" - AC/DC / Tortoise

5. "Heroin" - Lou Reed / Velvet Underground / Bongripper

6. "Boron" - The Cow Exchange / Ole Mathisen

7. "Alcohol" - Brad Paisley / Barenaked Ladies / Gogol Bordello           (thanks, Matt!)

8. "Nicotine" - Anet / Trai'D

9. "Acetone" - Mudhoney

10. "Gold" - Prince / Spandau Ballet / Owl City / Emmylou Harris / Interference on the Once / Genius / GZA  (thanks, Anon and multiple others!)

11. "Formaldehyde" - Editors / Dr. Atomik / Six Feet Under   (thanks, David Bradley!)

12. "Sulfur" - Slipknot                                                               (thanks, David Bradley!)
13. "Diamonds" - Rihanna / L'il Jon                                     (thanks, David Bradley, CMO!)
14. "Titanium" - David Guetta                                             (thanks, Lisa Jarvis!)
15. "Arsenic" - The Loved Ones / The Hit House                    (thanks, David Bradley!)
16. "Carbon" - Tori Amos  / The Hit House / VNV Nation    
17. "Water" - The Who / Brad Paisley / Breaking Benjamin / The Roots /ohGr   
(thanks, Sam Lemonick and Anon x 2!)
18. "Oxygen" - New Found Glory / Willy Mason / Michael Gira / Jean Michel Jarre / Bjork / Colbie Caillat                    (thanks, MB, Nessa, Anon, Glen, and many more!)
19. "Salt" - Lori McKenna     
20. "Kerosene" - Miranda Lambert / David Bridie     (thanks, David Bradley and Renee!)
21. "Buckminsterfullerene" - Radiation City              (thanks, David Bradley!)
22. "Cholesterol" - Adam McNaughtan   
23. "Silver" - The Pixies                                          (thanks, ColoumbicExplosion!)
24. "Melatonin" - Silver Sun Pickups / Radiohead       (thanks, ColoumbicExplosion and Anon!)
25. "Strychnine" - The Sonics                                    (thanks, Rik!)
26. "Mica" - Mission to Burma                                   (thanks, ColoumbicExplosion!)
27. "Gasoline" - Audioslave / The Dead Weather       (thanks, ColoumbicExplosion and Piotr!)
28. "Ecstasy" - ATB / PJ Harvey
29. "Melanin" - David Hause                                (thanks, David Bradley!)
30. "NaCl" - The McGarrigles                            (thanks, C&EN staff!)
31. "Ethanol" - Windy City Gentleman                (thanks, Agilent staff!)
32. "Nacre" - Annemarie Borg 
33. "Nitrous" - Twisted Insane
34. "Toluene" - Megurine Luka     
35. "Phosphorus" - Eufonius / Soil & Eclipse                (thanks, MB!)
36. "Nitroglycerin" - Movits!   
37. "Tylenol" - Ben Kweller
38. "Oxycontin" - L'il Wyte / Esham                            (thanks, S.O. and Glen!)
39. "Polyethylene" - Radiohead                                   (thanks, Rob Westervelt!)
40. "Soma" - The Smashing Pumpkins / The Strokes        (thanks, Glen!)                 
41. "LSD" - Hawkwind / Funeral Dress / Tiger5hark / Hallucinogen
42. "Morphine" - Michael Jackson                          (thanks, Anon!)
43. "Cyanide" - Deathstars / Metallica                    (thanks, Helen and Brian!)
44. "Chloroform" - Spoon                                        (thanks, Glen!) 
45. "L-Dopa" - Big Black                                       (thanks, Piotr!)
46. "Emerald" - Thin Lizzy                                        (thanks, ColoumbicExplosion!)
47. "Caffeine" - Faith No More                                 (thanks, Piotr!)
48. "NO2" - Phish                                                 (thanks, Anon!)
49. "D.M.S.O." - Dead Kennedys                         (thanks, Anon!)
50. "Silver" - Juno Reactor                                     (thanks, Piotr!)
51. "Nitrogen" - Juno Reactor / Zero Cult                  (thanks, Piotr + MB!)
52. "Palladium" - Weather Report                             (thanks, Piotr!)
53. "Quartz" - Marillion / Hit House                          (thanks, Piotr and Anon!)
54. "Ruby" - Silver Apples                                         (thanks, Piotr!)
55. "Coal" - Michael Penn                                         (thanks, Glen!)
56. "Alcool" - Ufomammut                                        (thanks, Piotr!)
57. "Alkohol" - Impaled Nazarene                              (thanks, Piotr!)
58. "Methamphetamine" - Eyehategod / Old Crow Medicine Show  (thanks, Piotr and Casey!)
59. "Copper" - Shellac  / Tones on Tail / The Pass      (thanks, Barney, Darrell, MB!)
60. "Dramamine" - Modest Mouse                               (thanks, Renee!)
61. "Haemoglobin" - Placebo                                       (thanks, Renee!)
62. "Aluminum" - The White Stripes / Barenaked Ladies     (thanks, Renee and Andrew!)
63. "EtOH" - The Avalanches                                      (thanks, Renee!)
64. "Topaz" - The B-52s                                               (thanks, Renee!)
65. "Iodine" - Dallas Crane / Icon for Hire                    (thanks, Renee and Anon!)
66. "Nylon" - Grinspoon                                               (thanks, Renee!)
67. "Aspirin" - Seka Aleksic                              
68. "Penicillin" - Jim Jones / ENDO                    
69. "Mercury" - Counting Crows / Throwing Muses / Bloc Party / The Hit House
70. "Iron" - Woodkid / Calvin Harris / Ensiferum
71. "Tritium" - Andres Fresko and Andrei K
72. "Adrenochrome" - The Sisters of Mercy / Emeralds        (thanks, Darrell!)
73. "Chromium" - The Church                                                 (thanks, Darrell!)
74. "Novacane" - Frank Ocean / Beck                                     (thanks, Teri!)
75. "Novocaine" - Alice Cooper                                              (thanks, Teri!) 
75. "Adrenaline" - Bush / Shinedown / Cam'ron / The Roots
76. "Testosterone" - Bush
77. "Cellulose" - Stegosaurus Rex                                           (thanks, Bruce Turnbull!)
78. "Sucrose" - The Delgados                                                 (thanks, Bruce Turnbull!)
79. "AZT" - The Kinsey Sicks / Cephalic Carnage 
80. "Memantine" - Vegas Martyrs
81. "Levothroid" - Vegas Martyrs
82. "Barium" - Made by Robot                                                  (thanks, Seb Spain!)
83. "Sand" - Einstürzende Neubauten / Horse the Band (thanks, Seb and Piotr!)
84. "Escitolopram" - Vegas Martyrs
85. "Ritalin" - Forever the Sickest Kids / Paolo Nutini / The Simpsons
86. "Bromine" - Rushmore
87. "Tungsten" - Malvina Reynolds
88. "Ether" - Gang of Four / Nas                                               (thanks, Seb Spain!)
89. "Styrofoam" - Fugazi                                                            (thanks, Seb Spain!)
90. "Graphene" - Midwives of Discord
91. "Indigo" - Moloko                                                                 (thanks, Martyn!) 
92. "Tetrahydrocannabinol" - Esham
93. "Argon" - Ole Mathisen                                                        (thanks, Seb Spain!)
94. "Chlorine" - Ole Mathisen / The Hit House / Jeans Wilder      (thanks, Seb Spain, MB!)
95. "Fluorine" - Ole Mathisen                                                        (thanks, Seb Spain!)
96. "Radon" - Ole Mathisen                                                          (thanks, Seb Spain!)
97. "Uranium" - Ole Mathisen / Kraftwerk                                (thanks, Seb Spain and ACS UGrad Office!)
98. "Bismuth" - Ole Mathisen                                                        (thanks, Seb Spain!)
99. "Sodium" - Ole Mathisen / Alex Dimou                                     (thanks, Seb Spain, MB!)
100. "Codeine" - Trampled by Turtles / Jason Isbell / Barracudas
101. "Neon" - John Mayer                                                              (thanks, James Banal!)
102. "Thebaine" - Rachael Sage
103. "Ephedrine" - Quincy Punx / No Knife / Factory 81
104. "Sugar" - FloRida / System of a Down / Tori Amos                (thanks, Agilent Staff, Robin!)
105. "Telluride" - Laura Stevenson                                                (thanks, Paco!)
106. "Osmium" - Marshall Law                                                      (thanks, DHChemist!)
107. "Cadmium" - Henry Kaiser                                                       (thanks, DHChemist!)
108. "Granite" - Pendulum                                                                (thanks, DHChemist!)
109. "Magnesium" - Johnny Action Figure                                      (thanks, Anon!)
110. "Mescaline" - Robert Francis                                                    (thanks, Glen!)
111. "Lysine" - Max Tundra                                                            (thanks, Glen!)
112. "Clonazepam" - Esham                                                            (thanks, Glen!)
113. "Psilocybin" - Esham                                                                (thanks, Glen!)
114. "Phencyclidine" - Esham                                                          (thanks, Glen!)
115. "A-Thujone" - Esham                                                             (thanks, Glen!)
116. "Methylenedioxymethamphetamine" - Esham                           (thanks, Glen!)
117. "Dimethyltryptamine" - Esham                                                 (thanks, Glen!)
118. "THC" - Jhameel                                                                     (thanks, Nessa!)
119. "Uranium" - Commodores                                                        (thanks, Anon!)
120. "Platinum" - Mike Oldfield                                                         (thanks, Anon!)
121. "Helium" - Skyclad / Plain White T's                                         (thanks, Anon, MB!)
122. "Argon" - The Hit House / Owen                                              (thanks, Anon!)
123. "Iridium" - The Hit House / Dark Tranquility                             (thanks, Anon and Baltic!)
124. "Beryllium" - The Hit House / Computer Music All-Stars          (thanks, Anon!)
125. "Krypton" - The Hit House                                                       (thanks, Anon!)
126. "Plutonium" - The Hit House                                                      (thanks, Anon!)
127. "Basalt" - The Hit House                                                             (thanks, Anon!)
128. "Radium" - The Hit House                                                           (thanks, Anon!)
129. "Zirconium" - The Hit House                                                       (thanks, Anon!)
130. "Obsidian" - The Hit House                                                         (thanks, Anon!)
131. "Anthracite" - The Hit House                                                    (thanks, Anon!)
132. "Hydrogen" - Thea Gilmore / MIOOIN                                     (thanks, Anon, MB!)
133. "PEG" - Steely Dan                                                                   (thanks, Robert!)
134. "Zinc" - Aydio                                                                            (thanks, MB!)
135. "Cobalt" - Pyxidis                                                                       (thanks, MB!)
136. "Manganese" - Thelonius Monk                                                   (thanks, MB!)
137. "Vanadium" - Rustless                                                                   (thanks, MB!)
138. "Scandium" - Solxis                                                                      (thanks, MB!)
139. "Calcium" - The Future Sound of London                                    (thanks, MB!)
140. "Potassium" - Autophase                                                             (thanks, MB!)
141. "Silicon" - The Sound of Guns                                                     (thanks, MB!)
142. "Benzin" - Rammstein                                                                  (thanks, Free Radical!)
143. "Tryptophan" - Neva Dinova                                                        (thanks, Glen!)
144. "Dopamine" - Front Line Assembly                                              (thanks, Glen!)
145. "Serotonin" - Simple Kid                                                               (thanks, Glen!)
146. "Bakelite" - Pollyanna / Leatherface / Black Light Burns
147. "CO2" - Jim and the Povolos / XXL   
148. "Propane" - The Wrens
149. "Vaseline" - Stone Temple Pilots                                                 (thanks, Krom!)
150. "Endorphin" - Burial                                                                     (thanks, Glen!)
151. "Ruby" - Kaiser Chiefs                                                                 (thanks, Anon!)  
152. "DNA" - Little Mix                                                                         (thanks, Mark!)
153. "Ice" - Sarah McLachlan                                                                 (thanks, Robin!)
154. "Petrol" - Ash                                                                                    (thanks, Andre!)
155. "Amphetamine" - Everclear                                                               (thanks, CMOGuy!)
156. "Methanol" - Izzy Stradlin                                                                 (thanks, lastpook!)
157. "DEAD!" - My Chemical Romance / The Pixies                             (thanks, lastpook!)
158. "DEA" - The American Dollar                                                           (thanks, lastpook!)
159. "TFA" - Catch 22                                                                                 (thanks, lastpook!)
160. "Amitriptyline": - John Vanderslice                                                            (thanks, Anon!)
161. "Ativan" - Atlas Sound                                                                              (thanks, Anon!)
162. "O2" - Sleater-Kinney                                                                            (thanks, Anon!)
163. "Chrome" - VNV Nation                                                                          (thanks, H!)
164. "Paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde" - North Sea Gas                                (thanks, AlphaGamma!)
165. "XTC" - Die Toten Hosen                                                                      (thanks, AlphaGamma!)
166. "Cs137" - Ludwig von 88                                                                      (thanks, Anon!)
167. "Benzene" - Kagamine Len                                                                   (thanks, Anon!)
168. "Nitrobenzene" - Kagamine Len                                                               (thanks, Anon!)
169. "Para-dichlorobenzene" - Kagamine Len                                                (thanks, Anon!)
170. "Chlorpromazine" - The Agonist                                                              (thanks, Baltic!)
171.

A Poste-docke Limerick

(This post was written as part of the BRSM Blog Party. For more worldly wisdom, check out Jess's entry, Stu's, Vittorio's, and Freda's...)

There once was a chap from the UK,
Who wanted to study in Ussay.
He said "I know what,
I'll get scuttlebutt,
And figure out how to be OK."

His mates on thine Twitter doth proclaim,
That the Yankee chem kids are most profane.
They 'colour' incorrectly,
Forget 'football' and 'high tea,'
Those Yanks just love coffee and ballgames.

Dollars - not pounds - will buy groceries,
Pounds - and not stone - for the weights, please.
In lab, we know grams,
Kilos and drams,
But don't order 'litres' of gas, geez!

Driving's best done on the right,
Try not to run the red lights.
I'd recommend bussing,
But I'm not quite trusting,
No double-deckers in sight.

Remember your relative youth,
You're prob'ly much further in truth.
Our 'Docs' start too late,
Feel put off and irate,
Student loans and long programs are uncouth.

Keep your head down and do good work,
Take on new skills and avoid jerks.
Get a paper or two,
Make some new friends to boot,
And never say no to some pub perks.

Good luck, B.R.S.M. Come see us sometime, we'll buy you a pint.

Chem Coach Carnival, Day Three

Chemists everywhere! It's not too late to play. Send an email along to seearroh_AT_gmail if you still want to take part.

Day 1

Day 2

Pushing ever onwards. Just after posting the round-up last night, a fresh new batch of recruits showed up! (Not that I'm complaining). Apparently, waaay more folks than I ever thought do Raman spectroscopy for a living. Today, we hear from self-acclaimed 'super-villains,' postdocs, IP counsel, Lecturers, a very familiar Fellow, and two in-silico dudes.

21. Dr. Bodwin, Prof. and Dept. Chair, "Mysterious State U. Midwest." Dr. Bodwin blogs at Everything Under the Copper Sun, Science of Cooking (hmmm...), and maintains electronic lab notebooks at Dr. Bodwin's Electronic Notebook. Call him a faculty leader, recruiter, teacher, budget-maker, just don't call him an "administrator." Dr. Bodwin's story of a grad school "mistake" led him to a whole bunch of unexpected papers...and half his thesis. 

22. Chad, physical chemistry graduate student. Chad blogs at The Collapsed Wavefunction. He claims, like many, that there's no "standard day," and his hours seem to run to grad school extremes. Chad, like many, did a two-year stint in industry before returning to grad school. He plays card games while the laser warms up. Chad recommends learning how to pronounce names of famous chemists before you have to speak them aloud at oral presentations (Good advice!).

23. Dr. Rubidium, Evil Genius / Supervillain. Dr. Rb blogs at JAYFK, Thirty-Seven, and maintains a rockin' Twitter feed. I'm fairly certain she has the henchmen claimed in the post, somewhere deep underground. Dr. Rb walks us through the convoluted world of villains: hierarchy, daily routine, and career objectives. Oh yeah, and forensic science appears in there, somehow. BWAHAHAHA!

24. Michael, grad student / blogger. He blogs at The Organometallic Reader and Cheersical Education. Michael's interests lean heavily towards pedagogy, as one can see from his fantastic organometallic lectures (online). For those who want to teach? "Start early; there's a tired old fogey out there waiting for your youth and enthusiasm." He enjoys long walks on the beach, being recognized on campus solely by voice, and anthropomorphizing chemical events.

25. Marcel, Research Prof. / Computational Chemist, University of Girona. Marcel blogs at Trends in Science. He's an "excellent scientist, performing breathtaking research." Marcel inherited a love of numbers from his accountant father, and feels his postdoc(s) taught him a lot concerning project management. Ask him about how chemistry miraculously 'cured' him of mono...

26. Derek, Research Fellow, Vertex. Derek blogs at In the Pipeline - we consider him the "blogfather" for the chemblogosphere. Derek provides a fantastic med-chem primer, touching briefly on the joys of bench work, project management, binding pockets, and what it's like to bounce around multiple companies. Some of his reactions still form sticky maroon tars; not just yours and mine. Some caveats? "Never talk yourself out of an easy experiment," and "never assume your future grad advisor won't call you in the middle of the night." ; )

27. Darren, Patent Attorney, EIP Elements. Darren blogs at The IP Alchemist (catchy!). He shows us bench types a different aspect, namely examining prior art, and how new ideas become patentable. He's fluent in Japanese; a fringe benefit of the trade (and a postdoc spent in Japan!). Darren's frequent travel to fun and exciting locales makes me dream of a career in the IP office.

28. Janet, Science Philosopher, SJSU. Janet blogs at SciAm's Doing Good Science, as well as Scientopia's Adventures in Ethics and Science. She helps people who are "scared of science" learn about where it comes from. Janet's actually a "double Doctor" - chemistry and philosophy - which you certainly don't see every day. Have a peek at her Philo 133 syllabus, quiz her about the importance of lab safety, or ask about rubbing elbows with Nobelists (twice!).

29. Mark, Applications Scientist, Rigaku Raman. Mark's full entry is published below:

Your current job: I’m working as an Applications Scientist for a portable Raman instrument company.  I’ve enjoyed spectroscopy since graduate school and this position is a good fit for my scientific interests. Because my company is a small startup, it will be a great learning opportunity to develop business skills. The company has a unique product offering for their market, and I’m confident that we’ll be successful. 

What you do in a standard work day: My current position is new, so most of my initial activities have involved training on our equipment and software, sharing insight with coworkers into the c-GMP environment, getting to know our sales force, and learning key marketing messages for the product.  I’ve also begun writing an application note and trade publication articles, as well as helping to edit the user manual.  Because I am a field based employee, I participate in a lot of teleconferences.  I’ll also travel to visit customers, help to train the sales force, and work at trade shows. My position will involve product marketing and seeking out business development opportunities.

A position like this requires soft business skills in addition to technical knowledge.  The ability to network and collaborate with project teams, organize work activity, communicate with customers and coworkers, and frequently delegate without authority are all key to succeeding.

What kind of schooling / training / experience helped you get there? I went to graduate school at a small university and earned a terminal Master’s degree in physical chemistry, specializing in FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.  I’ve held a variety of industrial and pharmaceutical R&D positions as an analytical chemist and also have prior experience as an Applications Scientist with a large analytical instrumentation company. My current position will draw upon that experience base.

I’ve learned that networking is critical career development, not only in finding a new position but also building collaborations to accomplish business goals.  Also, participation and volunteering in professional organizations, such as a local American Chemistry Society section provides opportunities to develop soft skills.

How does chemistry inform your work? I use my understanding of chemistry to help customers select the best solution for their problems or processes.

Finally, a unique, interesting, or funny anecdote about your career: I’m part of a dual chem-career couple.  My wife is a PhD chemist and is currently manager of an analytical group at a specialty chemical company.  We’ve found that geography is critical for dual chem-couples; there really needs to be enough industry where you live to support both careers.  Early in our careers, we worked at the same company.  Seeing the “writing on the wall” we found new positions and relocated before facing a dual lay-off situation.  Altogether, we’ve been really lucky with our jobs so far and work to be supportive of each other’s career growth.

30. Nathan, Computational Chemist. Nathan's full entry published below:

Your current job.

For the past 5 years I’ve led the In Silico Medicinal Chemistry research group at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. I started off as a computer scientist in my undergrad days but moved into chemistry (chemoinformatics) when I joined Prof. Peter Willett’s lab in Sheffield. I’ve had a bit of an unorthodox path to where I am today.

What do you do in a standard “work day”.

My job is now very reactive, which has changed since my time before joining the ICR when my day job was mainly programming. I support both my group and oversee support for our therapeutic projects. This involves lots of computational methods, such as: virtual library design; multi-objective prioritization; docking; pharmacophore searching; building and validating predictive models in QSAR approaches. Much of my work involves assessing the vast space of virtual compounds we could make, but we are unable to in resource-limited academia.

We are a post-graduate college of The University of London so a lot of my time is devoted to supporting our PhD students and PostDocs advising them on tools and techniques to apply in their projects. I also spend a lot of time writing papers with my colleagues, from basic computational methods right through to our teamwork on drug discovery programmes. I am also currently editing my second book, Scaffold Hopping in Medicinal Chemistry, following one that was released recently: Bioisosteres in Medicinal Chemistry.

This year we’ve also had quite a few external visitors, which has led to a few TV appearances on British television on BBC Horizon and Newsnight. You can see the programme on ‘Defeating Cancer’ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TyB07imDug&t=42m53s

What kind of schooling / training / experience helped you get there?

I have a first degree in computer science, which was followed by a PhD from Prof. Willett’s lab in Sheffield. In my undergrad life I focused on evolutionary algorithms, particularly writing software to simulate adaptive artificial life models. It was this initial interest in ‘writing software that writes itself’ that led me to work with Peter in Sheffield. I followed this with a Marie Curie Fellowship at Avantium Technologies, Amsterdam and Prof. Johnny Gasteiger in Erlangen for two years and a Presidential Fellowship at Novartis in Basel for another three years.

I never really wanted to work in IT but wanted to use computers to answer questions in other disciplines. I think the most useful experiences I’ve had is working with colleagues from other fields. I find these interactions very rewarding, particularly if you’re unafraid to ask questions that might seem silly. An orthogonal viewpoint has put me in good stead.

Throughout my career, my academic mentors have instilled the clear importance of the scientific method. It is so important in computational sciences to ensure that we do not become beholden to our own ideas because a computer will tell you what you want to hear. At least in real chemistry Mother Nature will give you a slap and say, “No!” The computer often says, “Yes!” This can lead to what I term the ‘pretty picture’ syndrome in some computational work. I always advise my students accordingly to clearly state the hypothesis and how they’re going to test it.

How does chemistry inform your work?

I use mathematics a lot to try and explain chemical phenomena. This is not all that different to scientists in the 19th century who used mathematical representations of molecules with the advent of atomistic theory. One of my mentors referred to a chemical reaction as a context-dependent mathematical graph transform, and in the abstract this is true. I like to look back over old papers and not taken common methods for granted. It is always important to understand how different computational algorithms work: with understanding comes control and can only contribute positively to our work.

There is a famous quote from Feynman: "If it disagrees with experiment it is wrong." This should be the mantra of the computational scientist in whatever field. Our models and predictions must be reduced to practice often to both test our hypotheses but also provide a feedback loop into the system. Therefore, chemistry is fundamental to this. If I suggest a compound that does not fulfil my predicted potential, I have wasted substantially more of someone's time in the lab than in my blase prediction. Due to this, I spend a lot of time doing my best to validate my methods as often as possible.

Finally, a unique, interesting, or funny anecdote about your career.

Although I’m an in silico medicinal chemist, I have been tempted into the lab on occasion. A few years ago I spent a day in the lab working on a halogen dance rearrangement. On my way home that evening I came off my bike, breaking my arm and dislocating my shoulder. Irrationally, I blame working in the lab and that was the end of my synthetic organic chemistry career to date. I knew synthesis was dangerous, but didn’t expect this to be the result.

31. Mike, Technical Editor / Webmaster, AATCC. Mike's full entry published below:

I morphed into science writing unexpectedly, and late in my 30+ year career. I have a BS, Chemistry from the University of Virginia and an MS, Chemistry from Colorado State University, and have been an ACS member since 1980.

Someone once told me that chemists can do practically anything. I didn’t believe them then. I do now!

My loves are natural products/synthetic organic chemistry, astronomy, and meteorology. Was a research chemist primarily in health care products industry. Got swept up in the lure of computer-aided chemistry tools, especially molecular modeling. Learned Unix on my own back in the 1990s. Discovered what “gophers” were, and then, hearing about the Web, realized something big was coming. Got out of the lab and became a webmaster contracting with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for two years. I then rode out the internet boom and bust, until landing my current gig as technical editor of scientific articles and webmaster for the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists in 2003.

Adaptability is the key to success in today’s world. I would have never guessed ten years ago that I would have enjoyed being an editor and writer. These were “hidden” talents, until the opportunity presented itself. Even more surprising was finding out that I could write for the public! I had long desired to do this, but didn’t think I had the ability. Two mentors at AATCC convinced me otherwise. As a result of their encouragement, I won a Gold Tabbie Award in 2011 for one of my newsletter articles.

I write articles for AATCC News, the association’s newsletter, relating to textile science. This includes chemistry’s intersection with the larger world of textiles: including fashion! Can you imagine: science on the runway! It’s both fun, challenging, and there is so much to learn!

Most recently, I’ve been an active proponent of social media as an engagement tool. Our Association’s LinkedIn site has become a major textile industry resource. I have little time to blog, but love microblogging (Twitter).

My advice: Do what you love, no matter what, but don’t hesitate taking opportunities to test new skills that broaden your experience. If you want to write, start on Twitter. It’s a great place to meet like-minded people and get your feet wet. Finally, be sure to keep a sense of humor about yourself and what you do-it helps when times are tough.

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32. Late Addition, just under the wire: B.R.S.M., postdoc / blogger, UK (and soon to be in the US of A!). Blogs 'eponymously' at BRSM. A true synthetic chemist, he's proud to "wear the white coat" and work at the bench. I'm jealous amazed that he's achieved so much at such a young age; blame credit the shortened British Ph.D. Seriously, though, BRSM enjoys the freedom of not being bound by grants or teaching (for now). He's prepared for a lifetime of learning...and to learn organic "in-jokes" whenever possible.

Chem Coach Carnival, Day One

It's a gorgeous Fall day outside, a perfect way to kick off National Chemistry Week 2012. We've had a few bites on the #ChemCoach carnival already, so let's cut to the chase.

1. Julie, Associate Faculty. Julie blogs at The Stoichiometric Equivalent. She's a new mom, currently teaching one class. Julie teaches labs, lectures, grads, and maintains Blackboard for her class. She was hired in a most unusual way (as chemistry profs go) - by playing a flute concert. Way to be first, Julie!

2. Azmanam, O-Chem Lecturer. Adam blogs at Chemistry Blog. He's psyched to be doing exactly what he always wanted to do - teach chemistry - and has a bunch of really fun stories about on-the-fly analogies, 'suctration,' and Peyton Manning.

3. Laura, President and COO, Quintessence Bioscience. Laura blogs at The Next Element. She wears a lot of hats. She was Employee #1 at a small start-up biotech, and has optimistically slogged through 22 Wisconsin winters.

4. Stephen, Assoc. Prof. and Department Chair. Stephen blogs at The Simple Candle. Instead of a traditional postdoc, Stephen returned home to Oklahoma City to found a new charter high school. He knows a hydrogen bond when he sees one, and students have called him "1% man, 99% science!"

5. David, UK Undergraduate. David blogs at Chemically Active. He has a bunch of great advice for UK-based students seeking chemistry careers. Once, during an interview, he blurted out something that was "part truth, part guess, and part utter tosh." (We've all been there)

6. Stuart, Chief Editor, Nature Chemistry. Stu dabbles in writing, mostly at The Sceptical Chymist and Chemical Connections. He serves as a bridge between referees, authors, Editors, and the public, while also taking a long view towards future development of the journal. He (correctly) opines that "sometimes the subtleties of chemistry are lost on non-chemists."

7. Dawn, Sustainable Technologies Assoc. Director, Dow. Dawn sent me her entry by email, so I'll post it here, as promised:

"I work for Dow Chemical in the department of Sustainable Technology.  Our goal is to help our scientists, developers and marketing community imbed sustainable chemistry and engineering at the earliest stage of technology development – a “get it best early on” mentality.  This is accomplished through meeting the needs of People (technology has to function well, meeting a consumer need), Profit (if it isn’t profitable, we won’t be in business for long), and Planet (minimizing the impacts).  Specifically we aim to

-          reduce hazard (product, process, use of our products),

-          improve energy footprint (energy efficiency in our plants; energy efficiency for our customers through the use of our products; diversified feedstocks; technology for renewable energy),

-          maximize atom economy through optimal yield, lowest auxiliary use (solvents, protecting groups, etc.), minimal waste, and even concepts like optimal functional unit efficiency (e.g., meets the performance need but maybe with double the lifetime, thereby maximizing every use of those atoms as compared to an incumbent technology),  

-          and holistic design – considering “cradle to cradle” concepts that explore the use of renewable and recycled raw materials, a sustainable supply chain, through customer use phase, and end-of-life scenarios.

My typical day involves elements of training, project consulting, reporting on sustainability metrics, tool development (like sustainability assessment tools for early-stage projects), and university sustainability workshops (we’d like everyone to learn these principles early in their undergraduate and graduate education!).

I have a Ph. D. in Organic Chemistry and was a post-doctoral fellow in Bio-organic Chemistry.  I have 22 years of industrial experience in a variety of leadership roles across many of Dow’s business and corporate research teams, as well as diverse geographical experience with global responsibilities, including assignments in Europe and Asia.  My experience includes businesses and technologies such as Dow AgroSciences, Corporate Research - New Products & Math Modeling, Dow Building Solutions, Specialty Films, Plastics, Asia-Pacific Corporate Research, Asia-Pacific Epoxy and Specialty Chemicals, and now Sustainable Technology. 

My most unique experience was being on assignment in Switzerland (the richest country in the world) and then to Shanghai, in a developing economy.  Quite a juxtaposition of experience!  In Shanghai I was part of the leadership team that established a world-class research capability.  Key contributions during this last assignment included business research responsibilities as well as establishing a solid foundation in Dow’s Environmental, Health & Safety culture and practices across our new research organization.  It was the most rewarding experience of my career.

I have a personal passion for sustainability and achieving scientific innovations that have a positive impact on the world – a passion that became a catalyst for change in several of the Dow businesses I’ve served."

SAO here again: Wow, guys! I can't believe I've just received seven entries on the first day! Keep 'em coming, and don't forget to use the hashtag #ChemCoach on Twitter.

Announcing: The Chem Coach Carnival

Do you work in chemistry?

Want to help folks interested in chemistry do what you do?

I like to think about chemistry
during timeouts.

In celebration of the 25th National Chemistry Week (Oct 21-27, 2012), I've decided to host a blog carnival called the Chem Coach Carnival. (Unfamiliar with the carnival format? Check out the "Favorite Reactions," "Toxic," and "Science Writer" carnivals)

Why the theme? After writing a tongue-in-cheek post last week, I received several comments through email, Twitter, and on the blog about an actual online repository of chemistry job success stories. Wouldn't it be nice to ask professionals questions like these?

What do you do all day? What chemistry skills do you use in your line of work? How do you move up the ladder in chemistry? What do I need to do to be in your shoes?

Here's the specifics: To keep the carnival timely - and since I didn't give a lot of advance notice (sorry!) - we'll keep posts short, about 300-500 words. If you'd like to toss in a (small) picture that helps the reader, go ahead. The general structure will be:

Your current job.

What you do in a standard "work day."

What kind of schooling / training / experience helped you get there?

How does chemistry inform your work?

Finally, a unique, interesting, or funny anecdote about your career*

The most important question to ask yourself - If I were just coming into the field, would I learn something useful from your story?

Whaddaya mean these mechanisms
aren't right?

I also want to stress that you don't have to be a blogger or writer to participate. I'd love to hear from every kind of chemist: professors, bench chemists, formulators, artists, Wall Street advisors, authors, Editors, engineers, grad students, historians, Olympiad participants, forensic scientists, safety officers, advertisers, biochemists, Nobel laureates, you name it.

Everyone is welcome.

As far as posting, you can either post on your blog and I'll link to it (preferred), or I can take your entry by email (seearroh_AT_gmail_DOT_com) and post them on Just Like Cooking. If you've posted something, send me a line at @seearroh or use the hashtag #ChemCoach.

I look forward to celebrating National Chemistry Week by reading about all your employment adventures. Thanks in advance!

*Bonus motivator - I'll be writing a post, too, but I'll only post mine after I receive at least ten entries from around the campfire. Happy writing!