“Today starts a week that will readily
Spotlight highlights for seven days, steadily,
As we celebrate nationally
Our science that rationally
Explores matter’s properties: chemistry.”
The 20 October 2019 Twitter poem began a series of poems written to celebrate National Chemistry Week 2019.
“Today starts a week that will readily /
Spotlight highlights for seven days, steadily…”
As with Chemists Celebrate Earth Week, which I’ve written about in this space previously, National Chemistry Week is a celebration sponsored by the American Chemical Society. I had not realized its longevity until writing this piece; the first occurrence was in 1989. Each year, the week has a different theme, highlighting such myriad topics as chemistry and art, environmental chemistry, and nanotechnology.
“As we celebrate nationally /
Our science that rationally /
Explores matter’s properties: chemistry.”
The theme of the 2019 National Chemistry Week was “Marvelous Metals,” as will be seen over several upcoming entries here. This year, National Chemistry Week will be held from October 18-24 and will focus on “Sticking with Chemistry”: the science behind glues and adhesives. The American Chemical Society provides a wealth of educational resources and activities each year to celebrate the pertinent theme, sponsoring events across the USA. Chemistry examines the structures, properties, and reactions of chemical species, commonly phrased as the study of matter.
(“Chemistry” is a word that doesn’t perfectly rhyme with too many others. One of the rhymes I tried in an early draft of this limerick was “centrally,” building on chemistry’s characterization as a “central science.” I was most familiar with this phrase in its capacity as part of a popular textbook title; again, it was interesting in drafting this essay to realize some larger discussions of that phrase. As one might suspect, the connections between different STEM disciplines are complex and oft-debated!)
Chemphasis 