I made my decision early in life to study chemistry. For me there really was no alternative. Which other scientific activity gives you theopportunity to take one set of substances and miraculously transforms them into something new before your eyes? Of course, whenyou learn that all this results from random collisions, the wonder only increases.I assume that today’s young and up-and-coming chemist is motivated in similar fashion and is concerned with practicing his/herscience with the good of humanity in mind. Probably no-one with any familiarity with the chemical sciences would refute the factthat the quality of life presently enjoyed by the human race has reached its present level, and can only be sustained or improved,because of the advances in the chemical sciences. Chemistry is not the only contributor, but chemists like to perceive their scienceas the hub. Hence, it comes as a great disappointment to chemists to discover that chemistry gets low ratings in public opinion polls.What does this do for the recruitment of new blood? To what degree are chemists accountable for this state of affairs? 2011 has beendesignated as the International Year of Chemistry and is defined ...