Toward A Sustainable Future

How do we get the very best and brightest of our youth to select science as a career? How do we convince students that chemistry is at least as rewarding as a career in medicine, law, or the business world? These are perplexing questions, and over the years I've heard many answers. Growing up, I chose chemistry because there were "Better Things for Better Living Through Chemistry." Now, the arguments are more sophisticated. Some people suggest, for example, that the applications of nanotechnology to space exploration will create enough enthusiasm to bring the hard physical sciences back into vogue, as they were in the 1950s during the Sputnik era. But there are challenges much closer to home and much more intimately tied to our future on this planet that should convince young people to choose chemistry. One such challenge was explored last month in Washington, D.C., at the American Association for the Advancement of Science ...