Retrosynthetic Rummy!

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed500657u?source=cen

Retrosynthetic Rummy: A Synthetic Organic Chemistry Card Game


Jeffrey M. Carney*


ABSTRACT: A deck of cards and a card game have been developed in an

effort to make practicing organic chemistry and synthesis more fun for

students. The game is played as a variation of rummy, in which players

 sets of similar cards and runs of cards in a synthetic sequence. This card

 reviews knowledge of functional groups and reaction types and requires

an ability to place many organic transformations in an appropriate order

to synthesize target molecules. The game was used as a method to review

second year organic reactions for third- and fourth-year students at the

beginning of a course in advanced organic chemistry. Students enjoyed

the game and even gathered to play it outside of class. Additionally,

the deck of cards was constructed so it can function to give a variety

of classic card games a chemistry theme.


You can download the deck and instructions as Supplementary info!

turning science into games

Here is a cool app that uses scientific principles to hide Agent Higgs from the big bad scientists:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/agent-higgs/id526613680

Putting it all in perspective

Here is a great visual description of a PhD:
http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/

For bacon lovers..

The flaming bacon lance that can cut through metal...

chemistry - a love story

A clever Grade 10 student came up with this video for his class project:

I hope he got a good grade!

If a three year old can do this, can you?

Listen to this 3 year old sing the elements song:
http://gizmodo.com/5900281/adorable-threeyear+old-sings-the-elements-song


Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame also can sing it:


 and, of course, the original version by Tom Lehrer:

bouncing bubbles

Here is a how-to on making bubbles that don't break so easily:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/content/experiment/bouncing-bubbles

The trick is to add glycerin to Dawn dish soap (for some reason it is the best for bubbles) and let it sit overnight.  That allows the glycerin to crosslink with the soap and create a stronger bond when blown.

You need to have some cotton or soft knit gloves to hold the bubbles and bounce them.

There is another option using dry ice to make fog filled bubbles too:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/content/experiment/boo-bubbles-dry-ice

Steven Spangler's boo bubbles

Chemistry inspired jewelry!

Raven Hanna of Made with Molecules (esty site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/molecularmuse) has traded on her chemistry knowledge to produce these beautiful silver necklaces "made with molecules".  There is everything from the omnipresent caffeine

 to an endorphin choker,

to a beautiful red wine (resevratrol) pendant.

what does an arsole look like?

Not what you were thinking...but is still a ring!

For more info on ths compound go to ChemSpider 

Here is a site that collects chemicals with unusual names - chemists can have a sense of humour when naming chemicals!
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/sillymolecules/sillymols.htm

Paul May has even written a book based on the website:

http://www.worldscibooks.com/popsci/p561.html

an in joke...

Superman was here...

This article describes some gypsum crystals found in a cave that would have taken a million years to grow this big!  http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/09/scienceshot-a-crystal-a-million.html

Gorgeous!

deep thought Mad libs!!

Try this one out - Mad libs channeling Deepak Chopra:

http://www.calamitiesofnature.com/extras/madlibs.pdf

Mentos and coke reaction - epic fail!!

Here is what not to do with the mentos and coke reaction:

Check out this great MSN video: Coke and Mentos Experiment Gone Wrong

Turns out there are lots of "near death" experiences with mentos/coke bottle rockets...

And one the guys will sympathize with:

What it looks like when it goes right:

So be very very careful with this experiment!!!

IYC2011 chemistry dance

Hey, stop sniggering - they are chemists not professional dancers!! They get points for guts!

I was at this conference but I think I missed this session - drats!
First posted at Bytesize Science

Strindberg And Helium With Sulphur And Iron

Some of the unusual things you can find on the internet...

the database we love and just hate a little...

The blog, Chemjobber, just posted some new taglines for Scifinder - wonder if the ACS will pick some up?

First 5:

SciFinder: Two weeks in the lab will save you two hours with me.

SciFinder: Find the reaction you want? What am I -- Google?

SciFinder: Destroying your original proposal ideas one hit at a time.

SciFinder: Yes, the Egyptian Journal of Chemistry really does exist.

(Web) SciFinder: Time to get a cup of coffee... in Colombia!

and his very inventive followers have added tons more in the comments!!

A quite lovely chemistry video for IYC2011

addicted to sudoku?

Well here is a chemistry version!

An online version is available from the University of Hull Chemistry Dept:
chemistry su doku

and the Royal Society of Chemistry also published some sudoku books but they seem to be out of print now...bummer!

and a life without chemistry?

Mr.Bean!!!

Mr. Bean does chemistry...