July 2007
Vol 44, No 4. Selected articles and reviews available online to all. Full issue available online to subscribers.
Column
STEM careers get boost
Government backs proposals for better careers advice for students, with the aim to encourage more students to continue to study science and maths post-16
Energy agenda for Wales
Welsh National Assembly ministers meet with scientists to discuss the role science in Wales can play in addressing the future energy challenge
RSC Chemistry Week 2007
The Royal Society of Chemistry's (RSC) national Chemistry Week will run from 3-11 November 2007
Imperial College celebrates
RSC honours Nobel chemists Sir Derek Barton and Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson
Teacher fellows go to university
From September seven school/college teachers will be working in chemistry departments in seven universities across England as part of the Chemistry for Our Future initiative
Element 112 shows family traits
An experiment by a team of Russian, Polish and Swiss scientists shows that element 112 is chemically more akin to its Group 12 relative mercury than any noble gas element
Online A-level assessment
UK A-level chemistry students can improve their understanding of chemistry by tackling challenges set at the online chemistry assessment website, Bestchoice
In brief
Items: Various short items
Chemlingo
Peter Childs, University of Limerick, investigates words in chemistry. In this issue: inventors naming names
Did you know?
Ted Lister, chemical education consultant, shares anecdotes to help you add that 'wow' factor to your lessons. In this issue: aluminium - remarkable coincidences
Soundbite molecules
Simon Cotton, teacher at Uppingham School, takes a look at those compounds that find themselves in the news or relate to our everyday lives. In this issue: silicon and silicones
Web watch
Tony Tooth takes a look at some websites that may be of interest to chemistry teachers. In this issue: databases of resources and information to use in chemistry lessons.
Letters
Exhibition Chemistry
Exhibition chemistry
Demonstrations designed to capture the student's imagination, by Colin Baker of Bedford School. In this issue: migration of coloured ions
Features
Understanding our changing atmosphere
Research by chemists into the chemical processes occurring in the troposphere could help to predict the likely impacts of climate change upon atmospheric conditions
Experimenting with biodiesel
The synthesis of biodiesel is exploited to teach general chemistry principles and as a way of fostering a 'green conscience' within undergraduate chemistry students
Investigating commercial sunscreens
Commercial sunscreens provide the basis of an industry-linked investigation suitable for students at various levels
Historical highlights in organoarsenic chemistry
Organoarsenic compounds have given insight into important theoretical topics in chemistry and proved to have beneficial pharmacological effects
Reviews
General, organic, and biochemistry. Connecting chemistry to your life (2nd edn)
Ira Blei and George Odian
GCSE Additional Applied Science: A1 - Life care; A2 - Agriculture and food; A4 - Harnessing chemicals
University of York Science Education Group and Nuffield Curriculum Centre Oxford
Mission impossible - science challenges
Peter Johnson
The Periodic Table at a glance
Mike Beckett and Andy Platt
Distillates
See-through electrodes
Nanoimprint lithography brings organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDS) one step closer to giant tvs and solar panel applications
Geckoman versus Spiderman
According to research done in Italy, Spiderman could have some competition for wall space from a new sticky superhero
Proteins' Web of Intrigue
Recent work by a German research group has helped to unravel the secrets of the spider's silk spinning success
League table of alternative fuels
Scientists in Norway have drawn up a league table of alternative fuels for cars
Goodness, more wine?
UK-based studies suggest that an antioxidant found in red wine could have beneficial effects on health by reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease
Infochem
