Wanted: Chemistry Humorists...err, Editors

Earlier this week, I took Angewandte Chemie to task: their (in)famous graphical abstract puns just weren't funny anymore. They responded with a job opening*, potentially to write exactly those puns I had just maligned. What a coincidence!

.@SeeArrOh A sense of humor is not explicitly mentioned in our recent job advert, but it's clearly a bonus. http://t.co/fSbMb1HMjC #chemjobs

— Angewandte Chemie (@angew_chem) May 4, 2015

Chemistry writers of the world: Are you witty? Good at writing? Want to live in Germany?
Link's embedded in the Tweet.

*Sorry, Chemjobber, I know this is usually your beat, but I really couldn't resist.

Friday Fun - Puns in Native Tongues

Finally! For those chemists who just can't get into a scientific paper without a witty one-liner, Angewandte Chemie delivers. Derek, Excimer, and Chiral Jones noted some of the best (and worst) Angewandte abstract puns over the past 5 years. Hey, any journal that can somehow channel carbene reactions through Britney Spears deserves at least a chuckle.

Well, up to now, most of the puns have been written by the English language editors of the International Edition; regular readers realize that Angewandte publishes a German-language edition as well. Far as I can tell, looking at the 'Early View' tab, they're now translating even the puns ins Deutsch!


From the posted few, we can glimpse some method in the madness. Certain expressions are translated directly, like Goldstandard for "Gold Standard," or Elektrisierende Ergebnisse (Electrifying Results!) for "Electric Results" in English.

A few, however, must not have carried over well enough. "More than LiP service" in English becomes Ein Hauch von Rot (A Touch of Red), and "A gel for all seasons" becomes Ein Gel für alle Fälle (A gel for all cases). The strangest rewrite has to belong to this Fukuyama synthesis of Chartelline C. The reserved German tagline reads Von großen und kleinen Ringen (Of large and small rings), but the English?

"What a core-ker!"

(Must have sounded better in the pub)

Team Chemistry

A friend and I recently traded barbs back and forth comparing NFL Pro Days and chemistry lab culture. 


For the unfamiliar, during the recruitment process, colleges host scouts from various NFL teams while exhibiting their athletes' skills in various strength, speed, and coordination drills. 


Without further ado...


"He wrapped up that running back like Parafilm!"


"I calculate molarity more accurately than Drew Brees throws the deep ball."


"For good protection in the pocket, make sure you're using reagent-compatible lab gloves."


"My signing bonus? A monogrammed lab coat and an Aldrich mouse pad."


"Neither my advisor or I knew the answer, so we punted."


"That safety covered him better than a full-face respirator!"


(I could go on, but I'll let you readers have a crack at it!)