Why Do Organic Chemists Use Kilocalories?
What’s the deal with organic chemists using kilocalories (kcal) instead of kilojoules (kJ)? The metric system, of System Internationale (SI) was first adopted in France
Read moreThe Principle of Least Effort
It’s a common misconception that the sciences are impersonal and somehow “less human” than, well, the “humanities”. I beg to differ. Is there any trait
Read morePutting It Together
I have a lot of students ask me about how to do synthesis. Today, I’ll share with you a 3-step method I suggest to them,
Read moreWhat’s a Racemic Mixture?
What’s A Racemic Mixture? A racemic mixture is an equimolar mixture of two enantiomers that is optically inactive. In this article we break down what a racemic mixture is, and give plenty
Read moreElectrocyclic Ring Opening And Closure (2) – Six (or Eight) Pi Electrons
Electrocyclic Ring Opening And Closure (2) – Systems With 6 (and 8) Pi-Electrons. In the last post we introduced electrocyclic ring opening and closure, with
Read moreWhat Does “Don’t Memorize!” Mean, Anyway?
“Memorize Everything!” was good organic chemistry study advice in 1952. From the MIT Technology Review, a letter to the editor: A Memorable Chemistry Final There
Read moreChiral Allenes And Chiral Axes
All About Allenes, Chiral and Otherwise Allenes are examples of cumulated dienes, molecules with consecutive (not conjugated) double bonds. Allenes are not flat. Due to the
Read more“Make All The Necessary Mistakes As Quickly As Possible”
The beginning of a new semester is a quiet time. Time to resolve to do things differently. Try and fix problems from last semester to
Read moreFare Thee Well, Oh Cats of Jerusalem
Our contracts have ended and the wife and I have moved from Jerusalem to small town Ontario, somewhere between Lebanon and Carthage. A little over
Read moreOn Cats, Part 8: Moe the Meso Cat
I got a very excited call from Walter yesterday. He was looking out the window of his apartment in Talbieh and spied a freaky looking
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