Reactions: Chemistry in Gaza, memories from old lab bottles, new names for intermolecular forces, and international coverage

Letters to the editor

Chemistry in Gaza

Thank you so much for the article “The Chemist Who Stayed in Gaza” (C&EN, July 8/15, 2024, page 14). It is so important for all Americans to be aware of the great challenges and unimaginable losses that every Palestinian has experienced and still faces. The Palestinians are an amazing and admirable people, enduring so much yet continuing to rebuild time and again with few resources and little complaint. Rami Morjan is an example for us all. He, and every Palestinian, deserves freedom. Would we Americans get up, rebuild, and still accomplish so much after being knocked down so often and so completely? His story made me appreciate the ease with which so many in the US live our lives, enjoy our families, and pursue our chemical and engineering careers. I hope for the same for the Palestinians soon; we all must work to make that happen. More articles from Palestine would be much appreciated.

Elizabeth Fisher
Pleasant Hill, California

I am responding to the recent article entitled “The Chemist Who Stayed in Gaza,” by Laurel Oldach.

The article presents information primarily from the perspective of the impact on Gaza and its residents, highlighting the humanitarian and educational challenges they face.Several indicators suggest a strong bias toward Palestinians and against Israel:

▸ Focus on Palestinian suffering: The article extensively covers the hardships faced by Palestinians in Gaza, including displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and personal stories of survival and loss.

▸ Language and terminology: The focus on high casualty numbers among Palestinians from the Ministry of Health, as well as the description of Israeli actions, suggests a bias. It includes a quote that labels Israel’s actions as genocide.

▸ Lack of Israeli perspective: The article gives limited attention to the context of Israeli actions, such as the threats posed by Hamas and the reasons behind Israeli military operations. It does mention Hamas’s attack on Israel (although not its status as a terrorist organization), but the emphasis is heavily on the consequences for Gaza.

While the article provides important insights into the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, the overall narrative and framing indicate a bias toward the Palestinian perspective and against Israel. Will you be giving equal time to the Israeli perspective in this war against Hamas?.

David ShermanAnn Arbor, Michigan

Editor’s note: C&EN has published a piece on antisemitism’s impact on science education and research at cenm.ag/antisemitism.

International coverage

As a long-term member of the American Chemical Society, I’m writing to express my equally long-term appreciation for the international coverage by C&EN. In a recent issue I counted 22 articles on international developments in chemistry, including the cover story on India and one on the Louvre, in Paris (of recent Olympic fame).

Keep up the good work!.

Joe Atkinson
Toronto

Proposed names for intermolecular forces

What is a protopole?

After having spent my career at Henry Ford College (HFC), once Henry Ford Community College in lovely Dearborn, Michigan, as an adjunct in 1995 and then as a full-timer in ’98, on the eve of my retirement, I find it somehow fitting to submit my first letter to C&EN. First, a shout-out to the HFC faculty, staff, administration, and most of all, my students, who helped make this a career beyond what I could have imagined. Thank you all!.

Over the years, I have enjoyed giving a colorful rant about what a disservice we are doing to our students when we chemistry instructors force them to first learn the concept of hydrogen bonding and then the next week tell them that during a chemical change, bonds are broken or made. The students who remain on top of things put this together after 2 weeks: “So when you boil water, you are breaking hydrogen bonds; therefore, that must be a chemical change.” Then we say, “No, hydrogen bonds are intermolecular forces, not bonds, so that is not a chemical change but, rather, a physical one.”

Do you see how ridiculous we sound when forced to say a bond is not a bond? The students who are less on top of things just think, “Chemistry is too hard. How can I ever get this?” With this in mind, I have the following simplified names for the three major intermolecular forces:.

▸ Old name: hydrogen bond
New name: protopole

▸ Old name: dipole-dipole attraction
New name: dipole-dipole attraction (keep that one; it is good!)

▸ Old name: London forces/van der Waals forces
New name: vacillipole

I feel that keeping pole in each name will help students. The word vacillate serves us well in science and English, ergo the last suggestion. As for London and van der Waals, don’t get me started on scientists and their love of putting their names on things. This is an equal disservice to our students, who have to learn both the concepts of science and the names of people who think they discovered something that has existed for billions of years. This is not your discovery, “Dr.” Columbus! I don’t want to sound disrespectful to the wonderful work of our dedicated predecessors, but should we remove some of these barriers to learning, perhaps chemistry can be made more understandable and easier to learn (even though I would lose my opportunity to rant).

Todd Whitaker
Eastpointe, Michigan

Old bottles spark memories

The Chemistry in Pictures article featuring bottles from an old pharmacy (C&EN, Aug. 5, 2024, page 12) triggered memories in this emeritus member. The licorice root bottle shows what I purchased to nibble and suck on from a health food store in the 1950s; I supported my habit by selling half to classmates. I purchased chemicals from my corner drugstore to make gunpowder and flash powder.

In 1973, I purchased medicine from a Boots the Chemist drugstore outside London. A different meaning to me of chemist. One could even have a chemist make you a drink at their store soda fountain.

Ronald Sheinson
Silver Spring, Maryland