CHEMISTRY Highlightshighlights Chemistry 2019
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Ethics and Evolution
ETHICS AND EVOLUTION John Scales Avery December 1, 2017 Introduction In October, 2017, one of the Danish state television channels, DR2, broad- cast two programs about current religious opposition to Darwin’s theory of evolution1. Much of this opposition originated in the United States, and was aimed at preventing the teaching of evolution in schools. The attacks on Darwin’s theory (by now, not a theory but a well-established scientific fact) were twofold. First the claim that it is not true, and secondly, pointing out that historically, Social Darwinism has led to horrible consequences. One of the arguments against the truth of Darwinian evolution is that it violates the second law of thermodynamics, according to which the disorder of the universe always increases with time. How then can life on earth, with its amazing order, be possible? The answer is that the earth is not a closed system. A flood of information- containing free energy reaches the earth’s biosphere in the form of sunlight. Passing through the metabolic pathways of living organisms, this informa- tion keeps the organisms far away from thermodynamic equilibrium, which is death. As the thermodynamic information flows through the biosphere, much of it is degraded to heat, but part is converted into cybernetic infor- mation and preserved in the intricate structures which are characteristic of life. The principle of natural selection ensures that when this happens, the configurations of matter in living organisms constantly increase in complex- ity, refinement and statistical improbability. This is the process which we call evolution, or in the case of human society, progress2. -
Basic Keyword List
NOTICE TO AUTHORS 2008 Basic Keyword list A Antibodies Bismuth Chalcogens Ab initio calculations Antifungal agents Block copolymers Chaperone proteins Absorption Antigens Bond energy Charge carrier injection Acidity Antimony Bond theory Charge transfer Actinides Antisense agents Boranes Chelates Acylation Antitumor agents Borates Chemical vapor deposition Addition to alkenes Antiviral agents Boron Chemical vapor transport Addition to carbonyl com- Aqueous-phase catalysis Bridging ligands Chemisorption pounds Arene ligands Bromine Chemoenzymatic synthesis Adsorption Arenes Brønsted acids Chemoselectivity Aerobic oxidation Argon Chiral auxiliaries Aggregation Aromatic substitution C Chiral pool Agostic interactions Aromaticity C-C activation Chiral resolution Alanes Arsenic C-C bond formation Chirality Alcohols Arylation C-C coupling Chlorine Aldehydes Aryl halides C-Cl bond activation Chromates Aldol reaction Arynes C-Glycosides Chromium Alkali metals As ligands C-H activation Chromophores Alkaline earth metals Asymmetric amplification C1 building blocks Circular dichroism Alkaloids Asymmetric catalysis Cadmium Clathrates Alkanes Asymmetric synthesis Cage compounds Clays Alkene ligands Atmospheric chemistry Calcium Cleavage reactions Alkenes Atom economy Calixarenes Cluster compounds Alkylation Atropisomerism Calorimetry Cobalamines Alkyne ligands Aurophilicity Carbanions Cobalt Alkynes Autocatalysis Carbene homologues Cofactors Alkynylation Automerization Carbene ligands Colloids Allenes Autoxidation Carbenes Combinatorial chemistry Allosterism -
Photochemistry of Highly Excited States R
COMMENTARY COMMENTARY Photochemistry of highly excited states R. D. Levinea,b,c,1 These days on earth we are photochemically reasonably A forceful illustration of the benefits of the synergy of well shielded. The far UV radiation is filtered by the ozone experiment and theory in understanding the detailed and other components of the atmosphere. In the iono- electronic and nuclear dynamics in highly excited states is sphere and beyond there is much challenging chemistry provided by the very recent work reported by Peters et al. induced by such higher-energy photons. The shielding by (8). Methyl azide is pumped by an 8-eV vacuum UV (VUV) the atmosphere also makes demands on such experi- pulse of 10-fs duration and probed by a second 1.6-eV in- ments in the laboratory. There is, however, recent interest frared (IR) pulse that ionizes the molecule. The experiment largely driven by technology that makes higher resolution as seen through the eyes of a theorist is shown in Fig. 1. The possible. The experimental technology is advanced light pump pulse prepares a single excited electronic state, la- sources that offer far higher intensities, sharper wave- beled as S8, that theory shows has a mixed valence and length definition or, complementarily, short-duration Rydberg character. It is unusual that a single excited state pulses. The two alternatives make a whole because of is accessed at such a high energy. The high-level computa- the quantum mechanical time–energy uncertainty princi- tions reported by Peters et al. are quite clear that the ple that makes short pulses necessarily broad in energy. -
Nuclear Weapons: an Absolute Evil
NUCLEAR WEAPONS: AN ABSOLUTE EVIL John Scales Avery November 19, 2017 Introduction The threat of nuclear war is very high today This book is a collection of articles and book chapters that I have written advocating the abolition of nuclear weapons. Some new material has also been added, for example a discussion of the Nuclear Weapons Convention which has recently been adopted by an overwhelming majority vote at the United Nations General Assembly. Today, because of the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump will initiate a nuclear war against Iran or North Korea, or even Russia, the issue of nuclear weapons is at the center of the global stage. I strongly believe that the time has come for all countries to take a united stance on this issue. Most of the world’s nations live in nuclear weapon free zones. This does not give them any real protection, since the catastrophic environmental effects of nuclear war would be global, not sparing any nation. However, by supporting the Nuclear Weapons Convention and by becoming members of NWFZ’s, nations can state that they consider nuclear weapons to be morally unacceptable, a view that must soon become worldwide if human civilization is to survive. We must take a stand, and state clearly that nuclear weapons are an absolute evil; that their possession does not increase anyone’s security; that their continued existence is a threat to the life of every person on the planet; and that these genocidal and potentially omnicidal weapons have no place in a civilized society. Nuclear warfare as genocide On December 9, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a con- vention prohibiting genocide. -
Lives in Physics
LIVES IN PHYSICS John Scales Avery July 28, 2019 2 Contents 1 THE ATOMISTS 9 1.1 Leucippus, Democritus and the concept of atoms . .9 1.2 Opposition from Plato and Aristotle . 11 1.3 Epicurus and Lucretius . 11 2 ARCHIMEDES 15 2.1 Heiron's crown . 15 2.2 Invention of differential and integral calculus . 17 2.3 Statics and hydrostatics . 20 2.4 Don't disturb my circles! . 21 3 GALILEO 25 3.1 Experimental physics . 25 3.2 The telescope . 29 3.3 Still it moves! . 33 4 NEWTON 37 4.1 Descartes . 37 4.2 Newton . 39 4.3 Huygens and Leibniz . 46 4.4 The Bernoullis and Euler . 51 4.5 Political philosophy of the Enlightenment . 52 5 GALVANI AND VOLTA 57 5.1 Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment . 57 5.2 Galvani's argument with Volta . 60 5.3 Ørsted, Amp`ereand Faraday . 63 6 FARADAY AND MAXWELL 65 6.1 Maxwell and Hertz . 69 6.2 History of the electrical telegraph . 72 6.3 The transatlantic cable . 75 6.4 Marconi . 78 3 4 CONTENTS 6.5 Alexander Graham Bell . 79 6.6 A revolution in communication . 82 7 EINSTEIN 83 7.1 Family background . 83 7.2 Special relativity theory . 85 7.3 General relativity . 87 7.4 Einstein's letter to Freud: Why war? . 88 7.5 The fateful letter to Roosevelt . 90 7.6 The Russell-Einstein Manifesto . 94 8 THE CURIES 99 8.1 X-rays . 99 8.2 Radioctivity . 101 8.3 Marie and Pierre Curie . 102 9 THOMS0N 109 9.1 Sir William Crookes . -
Laboratory Astrophysics: from Observations to Interpretation
April 14th – 19th 2019 Jesus College Cambridge UK IAU Symposium 350 Laboratory Astrophysics: From Observations to Interpretation Poster design by: D. Benoit, A. Dawes, E. Sciamma-O’Brien & H. Fraser Scientific Organizing Committee: Local Organizing Committee: Farid Salama (Chair) ★ P. Barklem ★ H. Fraser ★ T. Henning H. Fraser (Chair) ★ D. Benoit ★ R Coster ★ A. Dawes ★ S. Gärtner ★ C. Joblin ★ S. Kwok ★ H. Linnartz ★ L. Mashonkina ★ T. Millar ★ D. Heard ★ S. Ioppolo ★ N. Mason ★ A. Meijer★ P. Rimmer ★ ★ O. Shalabiea★ G. Vidali ★ F. Wa n g ★ G. Del-Zanna E. Sciamma-O’Brien ★ F. Salama ★ C. Wa lsh ★ G. Del-Zanna For more information and to contact us: www.astrochemistry.org.uk/IAU_S350 [email protected] @iaus350labastro 2 Abstract Book Scheduley Sunday 14th April . Pg. 2 Monday 15th April . Pg. 3 Tuesday 16th April . Pg. 4 Wednesday 17th April . Pg. 5 Thursday 18th April . Pg. 6 Friday 19th April . Pg. 7 List of Posters . .Pg. 8 Abstracts of Talks . .Pg. 12 Abstracts of Posters . Pg. 83 yPlenary talks (40') are indicated with `P', review talks (30') with `R', and invited talks (15') with `I'. Schedule Sunday 14th April 14:00 - 17:00 REGISTRATION 18:00 - 19:00 WELCOME RECEPTION 19:30 DINNER BAR OPEN UNTIL 23:00 Back to Table of Contents 2 Monday 15th April 09:00 { 10:00 REGISTRATION 09:00 WELCOME by F. Salama (Chair of SOC) SESSION 1 CHAIR: F. Salama 09:15 E. van Dishoeck (P) Laboratory astrophysics: key to understanding the Universe From Diffuse Clouds to Protostars: Outstanding Questions about the Evolution of 10:00 A. -
Terrorism: a False Threat
TERRORISM: A FALSE THREAT John Scales Avery December 15, 2019 Introduction Terrorism, a pseudothreat This book consists mainly of chapters and articles that I have previously pub- lished, although a considerable amount of new material has been added. The book deals with the terrible consequences of the so-called “War on Terror” which followed the 9/11 attacks. Is the threat of terrorism real? Or is it like the barking of a dog driving a herd? The threat of catastrophic climate change is very real indeed. The threat to future global food security is real too. Already 11 million children die every year from malnutrition and poverty-related causes. The threat to human civilization and the biosphere posed by a possible Third World War is real. The threat of exhaustion of non-renewable resources and economic collapse is real. The dangers associated with our unstable fractional reserve banking system are also real. Beside these all too real threats to our future, the threat of terrorism is vanishingly small. Millions starve. Millions die yearly from preventable diseases. Millions die as a consequence of wars. Compared with these numbers, the total count of terrorist victims is vanishingly small. It is even invisible compared with the number of people killed yearly in automobile accidents. The official story of 9/11 is untrue There is strong evidence, available to everyone who is willing to look at it on the Internet, which shows that the official version of 9/11 is untrue, and that the US government made the disaster worse than it otherwise would have been in order to justify not only an unending “War on Terror”, but also the abridgement of civil liberties within the United States. -
Infrared and UV-Visible Time-Resolved Techniques for the Study of Tetrapyrrole-Based Proteins
Infrared and UV-visible time-resolved techniques for the study of tetrapyrrole-based proteins A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Faculty of Life Sciences 2013 Henry John Russell Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................................10 Declaration ............................................................................................................................................................................11 Copyright Statement ........................................................................................................................................................11 Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................................................12 Abbreviations and Symbols ..........................................................................................................................................13 Preface and Thesis Structure .......................................................................................................................................16 -
Angwcheminted, 2000, 39, 2587-2631.Pdf
REVIEWS Femtochemistry: Atomic-Scale Dynamics of the Chemical Bond Using Ultrafast Lasers (Nobel Lecture)** Ahmed H. Zewail* Over many millennia, humankind has biological changes. For molecular dy- condensed phases, as well as in bio- thought to explore phenomena on an namics, achieving this atomic-scale res- logical systems such as proteins and ever shorter time scale. In this race olution using ultrafast lasers as strobes DNA structures. It also offers new against time, femtosecond resolution is a triumph, just as X-ray and electron possibilities for the control of reactivity (1fs 10À15 s) is the ultimate achieve- diffraction, and, more recently, STM and for structural femtochemistry and ment for studies of the fundamental and NMR spectroscopy, provided that femtobiology. This anthology gives an dynamics of the chemical bond. Ob- resolution for static molecular struc- overview of the development of the servation of the very act that brings tures. On the femtosecond time scale, field from a personal perspective, en- about chemistryÐthe making and matter wave packets (particle-type) compassing our research at Caltech breaking of bonds on their actual time can be created and their coherent and focusing on the evolution of tech- and length scalesÐis the wellspring of evolution as a single-molecule trajec- niques, concepts, and new discoveries. the field of femtochemistry, which is tory can be observed. The field began the study of molecular motions in the with simple systems of a few atoms and Keywords: femtobiology ´ femto- hitherto unobserved ephemeral transi- has reached the realm of the very chemistry ´ Nobel lecture ´ physical tion states of physical, chemical, and complex in isolated, mesoscopic, and chemistry ´ transition states 1. -
Femtochemistry' Ahmed Zewail Wins the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
GENERAL I ARTICLE The Man Behind 'Femtochemistry' Ahmed Zewail Wins the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Puspendu Kumar Das He hails from the land of the Pharaohs; he came to the United States, like many, to seek higher education and today he is at the top of his achievements. He is Ahmed H Zewail, Linus Pauling Chair of Chemical Physics at the California Institute of Tech nology. He has just been honoured with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Octo ber 12, 1999, 'for his studies of the transition state of chemical Puspendu Kumar Das reactions using femtosecond spectroscopy'. Bond formation and studies and teaches bond breaking are the two most fundamental concepts that physical chemistry at the department of inorganic make chemistry. Zewail studied these two processes using ultra and physical chemistry short techniques on the time scale on which they actually occur. in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. His The Man current research interests include gas Born February 26, 1946 in Egypt, Ahmed H Zewail (Figure 1) phase chemical kinetics, received his BS and MS degrees from Alexandria University second order nonlinear optics, and lipid-protein which was, perhaps, once the greatest place for learning on interaction. earth. He then moved to the University of Pennsylvania, Phila delphia in USA and obtained a PhD degree in 1974 working with R M Hochstrasser. Following his postdoctoral work with Charles Harris at the University of California at Berkeley, he joined the chemistry department of Caltech in 1976. Figure 1. A stamp size He was tenured in two years and became a full portrait (truly) of professor in 1982. -
Femtochemistry and Femtobiology
The desire to explore our surrounding world has always been one of the strongest charac- teristics of human nature. Columbus and the great explorers travelled outwards and discovered new continents in the 16th century and Bohr, Einstein, Rutherford, Curie and many others travelled inward to explore the secrets of the atomic world in the 20th century. Explorers use ships, planes or spacecraft to travel outward and they use increasingly Femtochemistry and Femtobiology (ULTRA) sophisticated scientific tools to travel inward An ESF scientific programme into the world of atoms and molecules. Here at the beginning of the 3rd millennium we have microscopes allowing us to see single atoms and telescopes allowing us to see the edges of the universe. At the end of the 20th century a fascinating new tool, the femtosecond laser, was developed. The femtosecond laser provides us with ULTRA short light pulses, allowing the motion of atoms and molecules to be captured as if they were filmed. To have, not only the structure of atoms and molecules, but also their motion, is of unique importance in our quest to understand and control chemical and biological processes. The ULTRA Programme, sponsored by the European Science Foundation, is a collabo- rative effort among the leading European laboratories engaged in using femtosecond laser pulses in chemistry and biology, a field of research with its own name: Femtochemistry and Femtobiology. In this brochure we give a brief introduction to the The European Science Foundation acts field and illustrate the activities within the as a catalyst Programme with a few illustrative case for the development stories. -
Lasers in Chemistry (CHE00036M) 2020-21 - Module Catalogue, Student Home, University of York Accessibility Statement
10/9/2020 Lasers in Chemistry (CHE00036M) 2020-21 - Module catalogue, Student home, University of York Accessibility statement Lasers in Chemistry - CHE00036M « Back to module search Department: Chemistry Module co-ordinator: Prof. Neil Hunt Credit value: 10 credits Credit level: M Academic year of delivery: 2020-21 See module specification for other years: 2019-20 Module will run Occurrence Teaching cycle A Spring Term 2020-21 to Summer Term 2020-21 Module aims Lasers have become powerful tools in modern chemistry, where they find applications in fields as diverse as astrochemistry, atmospheric remote sensing and analytical research, while the arrival of ultrafast (femtosecond) pulsed lasers has enabled the observation of molecular reactions in real time. The course offers three perspectives on the applications of lasers in chemistry: The first presents an overview of modern lasers and their operation and will discuss how lasers have advanced our understanding in areas ranging from the chemistry of hostile environments to the biomedical arena. The second presents the field of modern laser spectroscopy as applied to the gas phase, focusing on optical spectroscopies of molecular clusters and the use of lasers to measure the fundamental intermolecular interactions that underpin chemistry and biology. The third introduces the field of femtochemistry, discussing how ultrafast lasers can be used to follow chemical processes in the gas and condensed phases in real time. This will include an introduction to advanced spectroscopic methods such as multidimensional spectroscopy and time-resolved electron diffraction. Module learning outcomes Students will gain an understanding of different laser types and understand how lasers are used to both generate and detect key intermediates that control chemistry in combustion processes, in the Earth's atmosphere, and beyond.