The 2018 Cleveland conference screened a documentary film titled "Symbiotic Earth: How Lynn Margulis Rocked the Boat and Started a Scientific Revolution." NAMTA conference participants enjoyed this memorable premier event in honor of Lynn Margulis, her symbiotic worldview, and her intimate community of scientific stars. This article is…

Even though the author and his colleagues are part of a major research university, they agonize, in meeting after meeting, over the 5 to 10-percent yearly cuts they need to make in their chemistry department's budget. By and large, those end up coming from education, not research, especially in faculty replacements and teaching assistants. The…

In this interview Roald Hoffmann reveals aspects of his private life, from the great difficulties he experienced during World War II, to his personal beliefs. Hoffmann addresses questions about the meaning of laboratory work, teaching chemistry, representing chemical ideas, his philosophical quandaries, his poetry, and his view of atomic orbitals.…

Describes the life of Niels Bjerrum, a Danish physical chemist, best known as the originator of the concept that strong electrolytes are almost completely dissociated into ions in solution. (Author/JN)

Marion D. Francis and Rosemary L. Centner tell the story of a special group of compounds, developments at their home company, Procter and Gamble, and contributions by researchers in Europe and the U.S., in "The Development of Diphosphonates as Significant Health Care Products."

Indicates that although the costs of sophisticated state-of-the-art instruments are needed for chemical research, federal agency funding assumptions lag far behind. Issues related to these costs, including an estimate of what the National Science Foundation departmental budget should be, are discussed. (JN)

Summarizes the state of the art and speculates about future trends in chemical process control research and education in the United States. Most chemical engineering departments will continue to offer only basic courses, while the industry is likely to go its own way. (WB)

Organic v inorganic dichotomy in chemistry has begun to disappear while a new formal research discipline, bioinorganic chemistry, is emerging. The field has been developed with the realization that a third of all proteins and bioenzymes contain an inorganic element such as a metal critical to their chemical nature. (Author/RE)

Based on the results of an informal survey of 25 faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on the value and publishability of undergraduate research in chemical engineering, it is indicated that while such research is considered an excellent learning experience, fewer than 15 percent of student projects are actually published. (SK)

Summarizes some recent scientific achievements in particle physics, bioinorganic chemistry, geology, and the life sciences. Discusses research as it applies to the needs of society, including areas of concern for the future. Describes the role of the National Science Foundation as supporting research and education in the sciences and engineering.…

Presents viewpoints of scientists and postdoctoral students on issues involving the commercial applications and ventures related to recombinant DNA research. Suggests that how universities deal with issues could impact future school/business relationships as well as the future conduct of basic research. (SK)

Problems facing western societies during the 1980s are predicted in this article. Energy-related social upheaval may be ahead. (SA)

Describes benefits of undergraduate research at the University of Maine in chemical engineering for students, faculty, and institution. Indicates reasons why such research is not encouraged. Lists general requirements for successful projects and reviews the performance of three well-managed projects. (SK)

The history of the sciences in America in 1880 is described as a time of considerable vitality in the disciplines of earth and life sciences. The natural scientific resources of the American continent are credited as contributing to the vitality. Pluralism of institutional support is discussed with a historical perspective. (SA)

Discusses the future of chemical research in the 1980s and the important improvements that will probably occur, particularly in the chemical industry. (SA)