Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 5
POPULARIZING CHEMISTRY: HANDS-ON AND HANDS-OFF
David Knight
Department of Philosophy, University of Durham, 50 Old Elvet,
Durham DH1 3HN, U.K.; d.m.knight@durham.ac.uk
Hands-off people appreciate, enjoy, and support chemistry, recognizing
it as a useful and illuminating activity; hands-on people practice or are
going to practice chemistry. Popularizing aims to increase the number
in the first group, and also to recruit for the second. Chemistry at
present enjoys low esteem: to whom then, and how, should it be popu-
larized; how was this done in its golden age in the nineteenth century;
and how is popularizing related to the coming of professional science
during that period? Looking at nineteenth-century examples may give
us hints today about what has gone wrong, and how chemistry (which
is clearly useful, and relevant to today's problems) might again be
made exciting and respectable in our culture of suspicion.
1. Introduction
*
Linus Pauling said, “Chemistry is wonderful. I feel sorry for people who
don't know anything about chemistry. They are missing an important
source of happiness” (Gaither & Cavasos-Gaither 2002, p. 118). Most
people do not feel that. What might be done, and what used to be done,
to make chemistry popular? I had thought that 'hands-on' might distin-
guish those active in chemistry from 'hands-off' supporters, interested
but not participating: but now I am not sure.
*
This chapter was first presented at the 5th International Conference on the History of
Chemistry, Lisbon, Portugal, 6-10 September 2005.
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