Public lectures celebrate International Year of Chemistry

PA 52/11 Have you ever wondered how many water molecules you need to dissolve salt? Do you know how to measure fragments of DNA? Could you say how many atoms are needed until a substance actually does what it's meant to? These questions and many more will be answered in a series of public lectures being staged by The University of Nottingham to celebrate International Year of Chemistry. "Can Chemistry be Green?" and "From Avogadro to Zeptomole" — a chance to peer into the world of mass spectrometry — are the first two in a year-long programme of lectures organised by the School of Chemistry from this Thursday, February 17 2011. Dr Sam Tang, Public Awareness Scientist, said: "2011 is an extra special year for Chemistry and a great way to celebrate it is to engage with the public and communicate our passion for science. Chemistry plays an integral part in so many everyday applications and products but all of these would have had to be researched and developed at some point; these talks aim to give the public an overview of some of the work carried out in Nottingham and how these ideas are taken from the 'drawing board' to the research lab, and potentially further into industry." Academics will set out to explain this often mystifying and complex science — how it permeates our lives from the formation of molecules to the search for green technologies and the contribution it has made to some of the most exciting medical discoveries. They will look at the chemistry of stars, surfaces and gastronomy — so there should be something for all tastes and interests.