To the field of synthetic chemistry belongs an array of responsibilities which are crucial for the future of mankind, not only with regard to the health and needs of our society, but also for the attainment of a deep understanding of matter, chemical change, and life.
Interpretation
Synthetic chemistry plays a vital role in addressing societal needs and understanding the fundamental aspects of matter and life.
Elias James Corey's quote emphasizes the significant responsibilities held by synthetic chemistry in promoting the health and well-being of society. It highlights not only the practical applications of chemistry in solving immediate problems but also the importance of understanding the deeper principles of matter and chemical changes that shape life itself, suggesting that advancements in this field are essential for the future of humanity.
In practice
During a scientific conference, I used this quote to highlight the importance of chemistry in modern society.
To a synthetic chemist, the complex molecules of nature are as beautiful as any of her other creations. The perception of that beauty depends on the understanding of chemical structures and their transformations, and, as with a treasured work of art, deepens as the subject is studied, perhaps even to a level approaching romance.
The science of systematics has long been affected by profound philosophical preconceptions, which have been all the more influential for being usually covert, even subconscious.
Mushrooms are miniature pharmaceutical factories, and of the thousands of mushroom species in nature, our ancestors and modern scientists have identified several dozen that have a unique combination of talents that improve our health.
Ninety-nine percent of all species that ever lived are now extinct.
No one trusts a model except the man who wrote it; everyone trusts an observation, except the man who made it.
Every living being is also a fossil. Within it, all the way down to the microscopic structure of its proteins, it bears the traces if not the stigmata of its ancestry.
One does not have to appeal to God to set the initial conditions for the creation of the universe, but if one does He would have to act through the laws of physics.
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