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Monthly Meeting Science, Sustainability Medicinal Chemistry Symposium on Molecular Properties and Oral and the Human Prospect Bioavailability Presidential Address of P.H. Raven to the AAAS Book Review YCC Holiday Party Uncle Tungsten, by Oliver Sacks At Charley’s Saloon, December 4 2 The Nucleus December 2002 The Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc. Contents Office: Marilou Cashman, 23 Cottage St., Natick, MA 01760. 1-800-872-2054 (Voice or FAX) or 508-653-6329. ACS Scholars ______4 e-mail: [email protected] Any Section business may be conducted YCC News ______4 via the business office above. NESACS Homepage: Holiday Networking Social and Toy Drive; Charley’s Saloon, December 4 http://www.NESACS.org Frank R. Gorga, Webmaster Board of Directors______4 Washington, D.C. ACS Hotline: Notes of the Meeting of September 12, 2002 1-800-227-5558 Officers 2002 Monthly Meeting ______5 Chair: Morton Z. Hoffman Medicinal Chemistry Symposium: Molecular Properties Influencing Oral Chemistry Department, Bioavailability in Drug Design Boston, MA 02215-2507; 617-353-2494 [email protected] Nominations ______7 Chair-Elect: John L. Neumeyer For the Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital of Chemistry 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478; 617-855-3388 [email protected] Book Review ______7 Immediate Past Chair: Timothy B. Frigo “Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood,” by Oliver Sacks, Advanced Magnetics, Inc. Reviewed by Dennis Sardella 61 Mooney St., Cambridge, MA 02138 617-497-2070x3007 [email protected] Science, Sustainability, and the Human Prospect ______9 Secretary: Presidential Address of Peter H. Raven to the AAAS, February 2002 Michael Singer Sigma RBI 3 Strathmore Rd. Pictures at NESACS Events ______17 Natick, MA 01760-2447 Pictures taken at recent meetings by M.Z. Hoffman 508-651-8151x291 [email protected] Cover: Treasurer: Sorry, the ACS Santa Claus wasn’t available, so the ACS Mole with James Piper Mort Hoffman, the 2002 NESACS Chair, will have to do. 19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451 (photo by M.Z. Hoffman and helper) 978-456-3155 [email protected] Deadlines: February, 2003 issue: December 13, 2002 Auditor: Anthony Rosner March, 2003 issue: January 17, 2003 Archivist: Myron Simon 20 Somerset Rd. Newton, MA 02465; 617-332-5273 [email protected] Trustees: Michael E. Strem, Joseph A. Lima, Esther A.H. Hopkins Councilors: Alternate Councilors: The Nucleus is distributed to the members of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Term Ends 12/31/2002 Term Ends 12/31/2002 Society, to the secretaries of the Local Sections, and to editors of all local A.C.S. Section publications. Mary T. Burgess Michael J. Dube Forms close for advertising on the 1st of the month of the preceding issue. Text must be received by the Michaeline F. Chen Jean Fuller-Stanley editor six weeks before the date of issue. Doris I. Lewis Patrick M. Gordon Editor: Arno Heyn, 21 Alexander Rd., Newton, MA 02461, Julia H. Miwa John L. Neumeyer Tel: 617-969-5712, FAX: 617-527-2032; e-mail: [email protected] Term Ends 12/31/2003 Term Ends 12/31/2003 Catherine E. Costello Wallace J. Gleekman Associate Editors: Myron S. Simon, 20 Somerset Rd., W. Newton, MA 02465, Tel: 617-332-5273 William Klemperer Arno H.A. Heyn Mukund S. Chorghade, 14 Carlson Circle, Natick, MA 01760: Dorothy J. Phillips Howard R. Mayne [email protected] Barbara G. Wood Alfred Viola Board of Publications: Patrick M. Gordon (Chair), Marietta H. Schwartz, vacant, E. Joseph Billo (Con- Term Ends 12/31/2004 Term Ends 12/31/2004 sultant) Thomas R. Gilbert Timothy B. Frigo Business Manager: Karen Piper, 19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451, Tel: 978-456-8622 Patricia H. Hamm Morton Z. Hoffman Michael J. Hearn Truman S. Light Advertising Manager: Vincent J. Gale, P.O. Box 1150, Marshfield, MA 02050, Arlene W. Light Donald O. Rickter Tel: 781-837-0424; FAX: 781-837-8792 Contributing Editors: Mukund Chorghade, Patricia Hamm, Features; Edward Atkinson, History of All Chairs of standing Chemistry; Dennis Sardella, Book Reviews; Marietta H. Schwartz, Software Committees, the editor Reviews; E. Joseph Billo, Puzzles. of THE NUCLEUS, and Calendar Coordinator: Donald O. Rickter, e-mail: [email protected] the Trustees of Section Funds are members of the Proofreaders: E. Joseph Billo, Donald O. Rickter, M.S. Simon Board of Directors. Any Webpage: Webmaster: Frank R. Gorga, [email protected] Councilor of the American Chemical Society Asst. Webmasters: Terry Brush, [email protected] residing within the section area is an ex officio Kurt Heinselman, [email protected] member of the Board of Directors. Copyright 2002, Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc. The Nucleus December 2002 3 YCC News Board of Corporate Patrons YCC Holiday Networking Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp. Social and Toy Drive Directors Strem Chemicals, Inc. When: Dec. 4, 2002; 6 – 9 pm Notes of Meeting of September Corporate Sponsors 12, 2002 Where: Charley’s Saloon at 284 New- Aerodyne Research, Inc. bury St., Boston NOTE: Board Meetings are held on the Consulting Resources Corp. Come celebrate the holiday season monthly meeting day at 4:30 p.m. Sec- with younger chemists of the Boston tion members are invited to attend. Houghton Chemical Corp. area! The first 15 in attendance will Officers’ Reports: New England Biolabs, Inc. receive a free drink. Appetizers will be Chair: M. Hoffman reported on the Organix, Inc. available to all. Attendees are Boston National ACS Meeting: The Polymedica Corp. requested to bring an unwrapped toy total attendance was 17,800. NESACS which the YCC will donate to a local received Luminary Awards for Out- children’s charity. For more informa- standing Local Section YCC Event tion, please visit the YCC website at (the trip of 9 members of the German http://people.bu.edu/nsycc. New Members Chemical Society’s Jungchemikerfo- Includes members relocated to the rum and their academic mentors to Northeastern Section Boston in May 2001 for a week-long participation in educational activities, Invitation to attend a Section NESACS News including the Northeast Student meeting ACS Scholars Research Conference, a symposium on You are cordially invited to attend The following 17 students are ACS chemical education in the US and Ger- one of our upcoming Section meetings Scholars in our Section: many, visits to educational institutions as guest of the Section at the social and a Red Sox baseball game. hour and dinner preceding the meeting. Felipe Anziani, MIT The other award was to NESACS Please call Marilou Cashman for a Pedro Arrechea, MIT for Outstanding Performance in the reservation, letting her know that you Jessica Bazick, Harvard Very Large Local Section category, are a new member. Elisa Calimano, MIT especially for its chemistry education Nydia Clayton, MIT activities and National Chemistry Reuben Cummings, MIT Week activities. M. Hoffman also had Sharon Doku, Harvard received the comparative statistics for Directions Michael Duncan, Dartmouth the Very Large Sections and noted that To ArQule, Inc. Adan Farinas, Harvard chief differences, in comparison with the New York and California Sections, 19 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA Christina Ann Fields, Harvard which are the other Very Large sec- From 93 North and South: Lauren Goins, Harvard tions, was in meeting attendance, Take Exit 37C from I-93. At the light at Daniel Golab, Harvard which (correcting for a reporting error) the end of the ramp, turn right. *Pro- Roy Hughes, Jr., Harvard was about half that as compared with ceed approximately 0.4 miles past Christiana Obiaya, MIT CA and NY. He noted that items which Genuity and the parking garage. Take Keith Reed, MIT were left blank in the annual report by the next left into ArQule, park in the Marlita Taylor (Nesacs Scholar), MIT NESACS which should be done: main- area marked for Visitors. The visitor’s Ida Wahlquist-Ortiz, MIT tenance of the job manual, membership entrance to the building is the one fac- surveys, media coverage of Section ing Presidential Way . We Welcome these Scholars to our Sec- activities. tion From I-95 North: M. Hoffman announced election Take Exit 36 (Washington Street). At results for 2003 positions (see the the light at the end of the ramp, take a The NESACS website Summer issue, p.4). He also announced left turn into Washington Street. At the that the James Flack Norris Award in next light, turn left into Mishawum Rd. Physical-Organic Chemistry will be Get into the right lane, and turn right WWW.NESACS.org awarded at the 2003 Spring Meeting to into Commerce Way (Citizens Bank is Robert G. Bergman, University of Cal- at the corner). Stay on Commerce Way ifornia at Berkeley. through two sets of lights. At the sec- Have you looked at it? Chair-Elect: J. Neumeyer announced ond set, Commerce Way becomes Pres- continued on page 6 idential Way. Follow * above.

4 The Nucleus December 2002 Monthly Meeting Biography th Ronald T. Borchardt received the The 838 Meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the Chemical Society Jointly with the Medicinal Chemistry Group University of Kansas-Lawrence in Symposium: Factors Influencing Oral Bioavailability in Drug Design 1970. After a postdoctoral year at the N.I.H at Bethesda, MD, in 1971 Dr. Thursday, December 12, 2002 at ArQule, Inc. Borchardt joined the faculty at the Uni- 19 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA versity of Kansas and rose through the ranks in the Department of Biochem- 3:00 pm Refreshments istry, to his current position as Solon E. 3:30 pm Dr. Steven C. Sutton, Pfizer Global R&D, Groton, CT Summerfield Distinguished Professor. 4:30 pm Dr. Stephen Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ He chaired the Department of Pharma- Molecular Flexibility: A Limiting Factor for the Bioavailability of ceutical Chemistry 1983-98. Drug Candidates? Prof. Borchardt has received numerous awards and honors both for 5:30 pm Social Hour his teaching and research, including an 6:30 pm Dinner Honorary Doctorate from The Royal Danish School of Pharmacy. 7:45 pm Evening Meeting, Dr. M.Z. Hoffman, Chair, presiding Professor Borchardt is the author Dr. Ronald T. Borchardt, University of Kansas, KS or co-author of approximately 465 sci- The Challenges of Designing Cyclic Prodrugs of Opioid Peptides entific publications and he has edited that Permeate the Intestinal Mucosa and the Blood-Brain Barrier several books. He is the Series Editor Dinner reservations should be made no later than noon, December 5. Please call of “Pharmaceutical Biotechnology”. or fax Marilou Cashman at (800) 872-2054 or e-mail at [email protected]. His research interests are focused Please specify: Chicken, Fish, or Vegetarian. Reservations not cancelled at least in the areas of drug design and drug 24 hours in advance must be paid. Members, $25.00; Non-members, delivery. $28.00; Retirees, $15.00; Students, $ 8.00. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED. Anyone who needs special services or transportation, please call Marilou of DADLE, our laboratory has synthe- Cashman a few days in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made. sized cyclic prodrugs of this opioid Free Parking, see directions on p. 4 peptide using an acyloxyalkoxy linker, Next Meeting: January 9, 2003 at the M.I.T. Faculty Club, 50 Memorial Drive, a coumarinic acid linker and an Cambridge, MA. Dr.Leslie Orgel, Salk Institute, San Diego, CA:”The RNA oxymethyl-modified coumarinic acid World and the Origin of Life” linker. Unlike DADLE, these cyclic prodrugs have the physicochemical characteristics (e.g., lipophilic, uncharged) of transcellular permeants. However, when their cell permeation Biographies Abstract characteristics were determined using in vitro Steven C. Sutton is a Principal The Challenges of Designing cell culture systems, these pro- Research Investigator and Head of the drugs exhibited poor transcellular per- Biopharmaceutics Group in the Phar- Cyclic Prodrugs of Opioid meation because of their substrate maceutical R&D Dept., Pfizer Global Peptides that Permeate activity for efflux transporters (e.g., P- R&D, Groton, CT. He received a BS in the Intestinal Mucosa and the glycoprotein). These in vitro results Pharmacy at the Massachusetts Col- Blood-Brain Barrier suggest that these prodrugs would not be very effective in delivering DADLE lege of Pharmacy, and a PhD in Phar- Ronald T. Borchardt maceutical Sciences at the State to the brain after either oral or IV University of New York at Buffalo. The delivery of the opioid peptide administration. Prior to joining Pfizer in 1992, Dr. Sut- DADLE (H-Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-D- Mechanistic experiments using an ton contributed to biopharmaceutic Leu-OH) to the brain after oral admin- in situ perfused rat ileum model and an research programs at CIBA-Geigy istration is challenging because of its in situ perfused rat brain model con- (1983 –86) and at INTERx Research poor permeation across the intestinal firmed that permeation of the prodrugs Labs/MSDRL (1986 – 1992). His cur- mucosa and the blood-brain barrier across the intestinal mucosa and BBB rent research interests include solving (BBB). In an attempt to improve the were being limited by their substrate continued on page 15 intestinal mucosa and BBB permeation activity for efflux transporters.

The Nucleus December 2002 5 Board of Directors Abstract Continued from page 4 Molecular Flexibility: A Limiting Factor for the Oral the venue of meetings from October Bioavailability of Drug Candidates? 2002 to January, 2003. Stephen R. Johnson Treasurer: J. Piper presented the Trea- surer’s report, which was ACCEPTED. Councilors: There was a discussion of Reduced molecular flexibility and a bonds and (2) polar surface area equal the petitions before the council, 2 low polar surface area are found to be to or less than 140 Å (or 12 or fewer increasing the size of Society Commit- important predictors of good oral H-bond donors and acceptors) will tees, and allocation of dues to Divi- bioavailability, independent of molecu- have a high probability of good oral sions and Local Sections. Arlene Light lar weight, for a collection of 1100 dis- bioavailability in the rat. To further reported on activities of the National covery compounds with measured explore this observation, data sets for Employment Clearing House at the bioavailability in rats. That both the the artificial membrane permeation Boston Meeting, which had all the number of rotatable bonds and polar rate, in vivo clearance in the rat, and résumés and job descriptions on com- surface area tend to increase with metabolic stability in rat liver micro- puter.154 employers were represented molecular weight may in part explain somes were also examined. Reduced by 270 interviewers. There were 1242 the success of the molecular weight polar surface area correlates better with job seekers for 446 jobs posted (and parameter in predicting oral bioavail- increased permeation rate than does some others which were not posted). ability. The commonly applied molecu- lipophilicity (C log P), and increased Increasingly, NECH operations will be lar weight cutoff at 500 does not itself rotatable bond count has a negative by computer, thus reducing the space significantly separate compounds with effect on the permeation rate. A thresh- and staff requirements greatly, and poor oral bioavailability from those old permeation rate is a prerequisite of making it possible for employers to with acceptable values in this exten- oral bioavailability. The relationship review the résumés before the meeting. sive data set. This observation suggests between the rotatable bond count and Standing Committees: that compounds which meet only the various measures of clearance are as Bd. Of Publications: F. Gorga has two criteria of (1) 10 or fewer rotatable yet unclear. resigned as member of the Bd. of Pub- lications, but will continue as Webmas- ter. The NUCLEUS finances are in good shape. Editor: A. Heyn reported that 8,000 (out of the 10,000 printed) copies of the Summer Issue had been picked up by those attending the August National ACS Meeting in Boston. The remain- ing copies will be made available to those attending the NCW events in October. Membership: M. Chen reported that a total of 8 new members, including one from the Maine Section, will be attend- ing the dinner at this meeting. She also announced that one new member, Berengere Bouzou, a postdoctoral associate at M.I.T., is joining the Mem- bership Committee. M. Chen sent out 586 welcome letters to new members in August. Chemistry Education: The Committee has committed $200 to the Wheaton College Clara M. Pike Undergraduate Research in Chemistry Symposium which will be held Sept. 23 at Wheaton and which is co-sponsored by continued on page 16

6 The Nucleus December 2002 Nominations Book Review James Flack Norris Award Uncle Tungsten. Memories Of A Chemical Boyhood, For Outstanding Achievement by Oliver Sacks (Alfred P. Knopf, 2001) 337 pp., ISBN 0-676-97261-6; In The Teaching Of Chemistry $25.00 (hardcover)

Nominations are being received for the Reviewed by Dennis J. Sardella descriptive chemistry in Uncle Tung- 2003 James Flack Norris Award for Department of Chemistry sten, Sacks having been the beneficiary Outstanding Achievement in the Merkert Chemistry Center of a rather unique and accomplished Teaching of Chemistry. The Norris Boston College family. Two parents who were physi- Award, one of the oldest awards given Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 cians provided him with a privileged by a Section of the American Chemical It is ironic that the best book I have (and relatively unsupervised and Society, is presented annually by the unscheduled) childhood of the type Northeastern Section. read about the fascination of chemistry was not written by a chemist, but by a that has almost vanished in contempo- The Award consists of a certificate rary middle-class society. His Uncle and an honorarium of $3,000. physician. Uncle Tungsten. Memories of a Chemical Boyhood is the product Dave (the Uncle Tungsten of the title) Nominees must have served with owned a light bulb factory and oblig- special distinction as teachers of chem- of Oliver Sacks, the neurologist who wrote The Man Who Mistook His Wife ingly supplied Sacks with a wide vari- istry at any level: secondary school, ety of metals used in filaments, plus college, and/or graduate school. Since For a Hat, Awakenings and several other books. The book is an almost commentary on their properties), and a 1951, awardees have included eminent collection of other relatives provided and less-widely-known but equally lyrical recollection of a childhood immersed in and consumed with chem- him with an array of metals and pure effective teachers at all levels. compounds that would today bring The awardee for 2002 was Dr. istry. So, why wasn’t Uncle Tungsten. Memories Of A Chemical Boyhood down the wrath of both OSHA and Zafra M. Lerman, Head of the Institute EPA. How many youngsters have syn- for Science Education and Science written by a chemist, or turning the question around, why isn’t Oliver thesized the hydrides of sulfur, sele- Communication at Columbia College, nium and tellurium, as Sacks did in his Chicago, IL. Sacks a chemist? Uncle Tungsten tells of Sacks’ dis- home laboratory, or held a diamond Nominations for 2003 will be from the Kimberly Mine, or a sample received until April 16, 2003. The covery of, and growing absorption in, chemistry beginning in his boyhood of radium chloride? Uncle Abe pro- nominating material must be limited to vided him with a pocket spectroscope 30 pages and focus specifically on the and lasting until the beginning of ado- lescence, by which time his enterprise, and a tutorial on emission and absorp- nominee’s contribution to and effec- tion spectra, while Uncle Yitzchak tiveness in teaching chemistry, as dis- degree of knowledge and sophistica- tion seem to have been about what I made his X-ray machine available. tinguished from research. Here is Sacks, describing preparing his These qualities are demonstrated would be happy to see in a sophomore chemistry major. He did not simply own colored prints during a period of by a condensed curriculum vitae as a fascination with photography: portion of a nominating letter which, in play with chemicals, he experimented, turn, is supported by as many second- haunted natural history and mineralog- “The simplest was sepia toning – ing letters as are necessary to convey ical museums, read widely, and ques- not (alas) done with cuttlefish the nominee’s qualification for the tioned, going beyond the “Gee whiz!” ink, sepia, as I had hoped, but by award. These may show the impact of stage through the “Gee, why?” stage to converting the silver of the the nominee’s teaching in inspiring the “Gee, then …” stage that character- image to sepia-colored silver sul- colleagues and students toward an izes the scientist. Growing up in post- fide. One could do gold toning – active life in chemistry and/or related World War II England, Sacks found in this involved immersion in a sciences, or may attest to the influence chemistry a place of retreat, pleasure solution of gold chloride, and of the nominee’s other activities in and stability that nurtured the artist as bluish purple image, metallic chemical education, such as textbooks, well as the scientist in him. gold being precipitated onto the journal articles, or other professional There is a remarkable amount of particles of silver. And if one activities at the national level. Materi- tried this after sulfide toning, one als should be of 8 1/2 by 11 inch size D. Greene at [email protected]. could get a lovely red color, an but should not include books, reprints, image of gold sulfide. or software. Nominations should be sent before April 16, 2003, to: “I soon spread from this to oth- Please direct questions about the con- Ms. Marilou Cashman, NESACS, ers forms of toning. Selenium tent of a nomination to: Dr. Frederick 23 Cottage St., Natick, MA 01760. Continued on page 8

The Nucleus December 2002 7 booms) of chemistry while unwittingly sonal, deadly. What had been Book Review flirting with harm. fun, delight, when I did it in my Continued from page 7 So why is Oliver Sacks a neurolo- own way became an aversion, an toning … palladium and plat- gist and not a chemist? Despite his ordeal, when I had to do it to inum-toned prints … copper, best attempt at explanation, the book order. What had been a holy uranium, or vanadium.” ends with a puzzle: why did someone subject to me, full of poetry, was whose boyhood was so completely being rendered prosaic, profane.” I doubt that most chemistry students immersed in chemistry, who speaks so have had anything like this level of lyrically of its beauty and intricacy, This has, an unfortunately familiar access to selenium, palladium or plat- seem to lose interest and move on? ring. Like many bright students I have inum compounds, or comparable labo- True, Sacks does tell us that it was seen in thirty-five years of teaching ratory experience, short of upper-level always understood that he, as the child chemistry, did Sacks “vote with his college courses. Would Sacks have of physicians, would go into medicine, feet”, ultimately finding chemistry fallen in love with the romance of but I find it hard to accept that a person “refreshing, but not filling”? While it chemistry if Uncle Dave had only dis- of his ability and independence of would be easier to understand (and coursed dryly about gas laws, or elec- mind would have docilely given up his accept) had he spoken glowingly of tron configurations, or the Nernst love in the interest of obligation. And, chemistry’s being displaced by a grow- equation, without having been able to of course, Sacks does provide a picture ing love for medicine, there is not tie them to Sacks’ own personal obser- of a gradual forgetfulness, rather like a much evidence of this in the book vations of the elements and their prop- mist dissipating, but perhaps the most (except briefly in one early chapter, erties? Most chemists (at least telling observation is of the intrusion then later, when Sacks mentions being experimentalists) are, after all, tinker- of scientific schooling: deeply in the throes of love with ers at heart, people whose hands and marine biology), so we are left to won- “I had been spoiled, in a sense, brains operate best in tandem and der what motivated the shift. by my two uncles, and the free- simultaneously. I could not help recall- Whatever the reason, it is clear dom and spontaneity of my ing my own youth, when I (and many that five decades away from chemistry apprenticeship. Now at school, I other chemists of a less enlightened have not dimmed his memory or affec- was forced to sit in classes, to generation) fell in love with the smells, tion. With his characteristically fluid take notes and exams, to use color changes, flashes (and occasional writing style, Sacks clearly and com- textbooks that were flat, imper- pellingly recaptures the romance of chemistry, with its stinks, booms and beauty, of the people who created it, and of the masterful intellectual syn- thesis of fact and theory that evolved during the nineteenth and early twenti- eth centuries. Uncle Tungsten is both personal and intellectual history, and such an enjoyable and easy read that I have seriously considered encouraging Chemo Dynamics my freshman chemistry students to read it. At the very least they would learn a lot about chemistry and its his- 1/3 page Ad Appears here tory, and they might even be captured by it. My hesitancy stems only from a reluctance to confront the inevitable Ad # 681N question, “Is this going to be on the exam?” and the fear that Sacks, like a Strip Negative Supplied Pied Piper, will lead them through a fascination with chemistry, then out of it and into medicine.

8 The Nucleus December 2002 changed the composition of the atmos- Science, Sustainability, phere profoundly, driving global tem- peratures upward and depleting stratospheric ozone. Habitats through- and the Human Prospect out the world have been-decimated by Presidential Address at the February 2002 Meeting of the AAAS intentionally and accidentally intro- duced plants and animals Most troublesome is the irre- Reprinted with permission from Sci- The State of the World versible loss of biodiversity. For the ence, 2002, 297, 954-958. © 2002, Over 400 generations (10,000 past 65 million years, the rate of American Association for the Advance- years), our human population has species extinction has remained at ment of Science grown from several million people to about one species per million per year. By Peter H. Raven # approximately 6.1 billion. During this It has now risen by approximately time, villages, towns, cities, and nations three orders of magnitude, to perhaps When we set out the theme for the formed and became the homes of 1000 species per million per year (per- 2002 American Association for the poets, philosophers, lawyers, builders, haps 0.1% of all species per year), and Advancement of Science (AAAS) religious leaders, and tool makers. We it continues to rise as habitats through- Meeting, “Science in a Connected continue to depend on a series of out the world are destroyed. Species- World,” we thought of the ways in ancient, genetically and socially deter- area relationships, taken worldwide in which the fates of nations were inter- mined habits and attitudes, many of relation to habitat destruction, lead to twined as never before and of the role which seem to have been more suitable projections of the loss of fully two- of science in shaping communication. I for our hunter-gatherer ancestors. We thirds of all species on Earth by the was mindful of the enormous chal- must adopt new ways of thinking that end of this century 2. And these projec- lenges that faced a world that had will serve our descendants well in a tions do not include the inevitably neg- grown so rapidly in population, in- world that is crowded beyond imagin- ative effects of climate change, dividual consumption levels, and ing, a world in which we shall always widespread pollution, and the destruc- changing technologies. In the months be the major ecological force; unless, tion caused by alien species world- that followed, the shock delivered by of course, we destroy ourselves. wide, among other factors. In addition, the September 11th events brought During the 1790s, the global pop- the ecosystem services on which all home with unimagined force the ways ulation amounted to about 800 million life on Earth, including our own, in which our collective neglect of these people. Despite. the Reverend Thomas depends are being disrupted locally relationships had helped to bring about Malthus’ dire prediction that popula- and regionally in such away as to the dangerous and unstable state of the tion growth would outstrip food pro- deprive future generations of the bene- world in which we find ourselves. The duction, we did limit the extent of fits that we enjoy now 3. problems we face seem cruelly com- starvation during the 19th and 20th Considering the ways in which pounded, but their root causes remain centuries, in large part because of the plants and animals enrich our lives, it unchanged. steam engine and its successors. We is incredible that we continue to The challenges that we face are manufactured increasingly toxic pesti- destroy them so carelessly 4. The enormous and deeply rooted in rela- cides with which we now douse our actions that we carry out over the next tionships neglected for far too long. agricultural lands at the rate of 3 mil- few decades will decide the fate of We must find new ways to provide for lion metric tons per year, worldwide. millions of species of plants, animals, a human society that presently has out- We are fixing nitrogen with an output fungi, and microorganisms, the greater stripped the limits of global sustain- that exceeds natural processes. Culti- number of them completely unknown ability. New ways of thinking—an vated lands have grown to comprise an at present and likely to have remained integrated multidimensional approach area about the size of South America. so at the time of their permanent disap- to the problems of global sustainabil- Rangelands occupying about a fifth of pearance from our planet. ity— have long been needed, and it is the world’s land surface support 3.3 Thus, the world has been con- now up to us to decide whether the billion cattle, sheep, and goats. Two- verted in an instant of time from a wild especially difficult challenges that we thirds of the world’s fisheries are being natural one to one in which humans, are facing today will jolt us into find- harvested beyond sustainability. one of an estimated 10 million or more ing and accepting them. Over the past half century, we have species, are consuming, wasting, or lost a fifth of the world’s topsoil, a fifth # diverting an estimated 45% of the total The author is the director of the Missouri of its agricultural land,. and a third of net biological productivity on land and Botanical Garden, St.Louis, MO 63166, its forests. Grain production has fallen using more than half of the renewable USA. E-mail: [email protected]. This essay short of consumption for two consecu- is adapted from his Presidential Address to fresh water. The scale of changes in tive years, reducing the surplus to the Earth’s systems, well documented the AAAS annual meeting in February 1 2002. lowest level in two decades . We have Continued on page 10

The Nucleus December 2002 9 erally respected Cambridge University be classified as “dedicated greens” and Science Sustainability Press, but evidently without critical their views dismissed. Continued from page 9 review. Although he appropriately The consequences of our environ- from the primary literature by Pimm 5 questions some of the hyperbolic state- mental problems are severe. About a is so different from before that we can- ments that environmentalists have quarter of humanity survives on less not predict the future, much less chart made over the years, Lomborg largely than $l per day. Depending on the cri- a course of action, on the basis of what ignores the peer-reviewed literature teria used, one-eighth to one-half of has happened in the past 6. and frequently misrepresents the views the world’s people are malnourished. Against this background, it is not of many of the scientists who have Some 14 million babies and young surprising that false prophets and char- analyzed these areas. He blithely children under the age of four starve to latans have arisen who, neglecting the attacks a series of straw men that he death each year. In the world’s poorest scientific context that must underlie all resurrects from the past literature or societies, women and children are une- wise decisions, pretend to deliver simply constructs, and then repeatedly ducated and spend their time foraging “good news” about the environment. exposes his ignorance of facts and crit- for firewood or water. Such relation- They win fame by telling people what ical analyses. ships are inevitable in a world in which they want to hear. Warmed by the Lomborg’s popular success 20% of us control 80% of the applause that their misstatements gen- demonstrates the vulnerability of the resources, and 80% of us have to make erate, such individuals can simply deliberative and hypothesis-driven sci- do with the rest. deliver falsehoods or the products of entific process to misrepresentation Among the nations of the world, wishful thinking. and distortion. It is difficult to under- the role of the United States has be- The most recent example is the stand why a respected journal like The come particularly dominant. Although work of Danish economist Bjørn Lom- Economist would rush to his defense. we contain just 4.5% of the world’s borg, who reprises many of the earlier Although there have been multiple people, we control 25% of the world’s misleading, if not outright delusional, excesses on both sides of this debate, wealth and produce 25 to 30% of its conclusions offered earlier by Julian at its root it is a matter of science and pollution. We are dependent on the sta- Simon and Gregg Easterbrook 7, factual analysis, and that is the point bility and productivity of nations all among others. Lomborg’s book, The that seems to have been lost in all the over the world to maintain our level of Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring controversy that followed the book’s affluence. It is remarkable, therefore, the Real State of the World 8 has, publication. All of the world’s envi- that the richest nation is the lowest per remarkably, been published by the gen- ronmental scientists cannot reasonably capita donor of international develop- ment assistance of any industrialized country. Only in public health do we support even the rudiments of an ade- quate global system. Since publication of the report of the World Commission on Environ- ment and Development 9, we have become accustomed to thinking of the world as a place in which everyone could eventually become rich. This may be so, but it cannot happen using the technologies we possess now and building to industrialized-world levels of consumption. Many years ago, when asked whether then-nearly inde- pendent India would follow the British pattern of development, Gandhi replied “It took Britain half the resources of the planet to achieve this prosperity. How many planets will a country like India require?” More recently, Wacker- nagel and Rees 10 have estimated that it would take two additional planets to support the world at the living standard of the industrialized countries, three if the population doubled, and 12 if stan- dards of living doubled.

10 The Nucleus December 2002 Science Sustainability cogently points out in his new book ing strong sustainable societies 14. Eco-Economy 1 that a combination of Such efforts will help informed citi- Continued from page 10 wind turbines, solar cells, hydrogen zens to make better decisions and will The Central Role of Science and generators, and fuel cell engines offers ultimately lead to increasing the finan- Technology both energy independence and an alter- cial support for the scientific enter- It is generally accepted that native to the fossil fuels that are driv- prise. The AAAS has been a leader in advances in science and technology ing global warming. Worldwide and increasing public understanding of sci- power the world’s economy and eco- over the past decade, the use of wind ence and in formal science education, nomic progress. In America, leading power grew by 25% a year, solar cells and we continue to stress these funda- economists and government policy- at 20% a year, and geothermal energy mentally significant fields in the makers uniformly agree that the at 4% a year. During the same period, future. nation’s extraordinary capabilities in oil consumption grew by 1% a year, Achieving a Sustainable World science, technology, and health are while coal consumption declined by a In light of all this, one is com- among its strongest assets. US. invest- similar amount. Natural gas grew by pelled to wonder whether the current ment in basic scientific, engineering, 2% annually. model for international institutions, and medical research produces a rate of Unfortunately for the United established in the wake of World War return of between 20 to 50% per year. States, most of the growth in alterna- II, is adequate for building a sus- What are the specific contribu- tive energy use has taken place abroad. tainable world. It is telling that the tions that science and engineering can In 2001, the United States consumed organizers of the Rio Summit failed to make to the development of a sustain- an average of 19.6 million barrels of persuade the United States, Japan, or able society? Contemporary efforts to oil per day. Our total oil imports were any other country to provide the funds build the science of sustainability as an 11.6 million barrels per day, or 59% of necessary to redress the global imbal- accessible, integrating discipline are consumption. Of the imported oil, 2.73 ances. well summarized in the National million barrels per day (or 23.5% of Scientist-to-scientist cooperation Research Council study Our Common total imports) came from the Persian between those in industrialized nations Journey. A Transition Toward Sustain- Gulf. According to the Cato Institute and their colleagues in developing ability 11. Noting that many trends and 12, America spends at least $30 billion countries is important for achieving conditions undermine efforts to to $60 billion per year and deploys effective global communication and, achieve sustainability, the report con- thousands of military personnel in ultimately, sustainability. Or, as the late cludes that an overall transition could securing Persian Gulf oil, for which we Congressman George Brown said to be attained in the next two generations pay approximately $21.4 billion 13. the National Academy of Sciences in without the development of miraculous Against this background, it seems 1993: technologies or drastic transformations astonishing that we would consider of human societies. The report drilling for oil in the Arctic National “This work must begin first by stressed, however, that significant Wildlife Refuge, which at peak pro- viewing developing nations as part- advances in basic knowledge, in the duction would provide barely 5% of ners instead of as step-children ... social capacity and technological abil- our national needs. At the same time, Of all the many ways in which we ity to use it, and in the political will to we do not sufficiently encourage can cooperate for the common turn this knowledge into action will be inventiveness in developing and mar- good, the case for science and tech- necessary to achieve this transition. keting sustainable energy sources. nology cooperation with science- Those who find comfort in the The challenges of the 21st century, poorer nations is perhaps the most soothing words of Lomborg might owing principally to the combined compelling. To do so, we must wish to read what a panel of distin- impacts of the globalization of markets abandon the instinct to judge others guished environmental scientists (peo- and technology-driven knowledge as by their past accomplishments, or to ple actually working in the area and well as the information explosion, judge our own accomplishments as knowledgeable about it) concluded demand increased attention to the the proper path for others.” from 3 years of study of the pertinent development of educational systems The problem of transferring tech- facts and have presented in this report, both for the United States and for the nologies to and building capacities in before they completely relax their world at large. Scientific understanding countries throughout the world in such focus on the world as it really is. is no longer only a desirable good but a way that they can contribute ade- Energy is particularly important clearly an imperative for building truly quately to sustainable development is a for global sustainability. The potential representative democracies. The difficult one, but one that we must con- savings from energy conservation and involvement of scientists in an effec- front fully 15. Ismail Serageldin 16 has from the development and adoption of tive information network leading to an presented an argument for the coopera- alternative sources of energy are well improvement of the educational system tive development of science through- understood and massive. As to alterna- and in promoting public understanding out the world that is both moving and tive sources of energy, Lester Brown of science would help greatly in build- Continued on page 12

The Nucleus December 2002 11 energy company in the future. tributions of science and engineering, Science Sustainability The kind of grassroots activities politics and social sciences, and many Continued from page 11 that are promoting sustainability on a other fields for designing the improved compelling, stressing also the role of local scale have become a powerful cities of the future. On the other hand, the scientific attitude in bringing peo- force throughout the world. Perhaps it will be necessary to pay increasing ple together on a rational basis. they are, fundamentally, only a reem- attention to the rights and needs of Many of us look forward with phasis of what has been traditional. rural dwellers throughout the world trepidation to the World Summit on Whether establishing local clinics and and to fund ways to give them access Sustainable Development in Johannes- sustainable industries in the Biligiri to the information that they so obvi- burg, South Africa, to be held this Sep- Rangan Hills of southern India, build- ously require. Activities such as those tember, because the continued ing people-based ecotourism centers of the M. S. Swaminathan Research deterioration of the environment over on native lands in Kenya, rebuilding a Institute in Chennai, India, in bringing the past 10 years has been so obvious broken landscape at the Bookmark health and agricultural information at and the signs of progress so limited. Biosphere Reserve in South Australia, low cost to the villages around Nonetheless, there have been some learning how to ranch sustainably on Pondicherry will need to be multiplied outstanding efforts to refocus and the vast grasslands of the Malpai many times over for success. 17 renew commitments there . There Borderlands of New Mexico and Ari- A Vision for the Future also is growing evidence that corpora- zona, or simply rooting out alien plants On 6 January 1941, President tions are increasingly realizing that on Albany Hill in the San Francisco Franklin Delano Roosevelt, addressing understanding and working with the Bay Area, the people who are pursuing Congress on behalf of a nation that conditions of sustainable development sustainability in a direct and personal was moving inexorably toward full are necessary prerequisites for success way will hugely affect the shape of the participation in World War II, said, in the corporate world of the future 18. world in the future. John Browne, chief executive officer Within a few years, a majority of “. . . we look forward to a world of BP-Amoco, for example, set his the world’s people will, for the first founded upon four essential human company on a course that will embrace time, be living in cities I9. In order to freedoms. The first is freedom of alternative energy sources and energy build a sustainable world for the speech and expression everywhere conservation, reasoning that in the face future, it will be necessary first to in the world The second is freedom of global warming, they must do this if develop better models for cities, taking of every person to worship God in they are to continue to be a profitable into account the multidimensional con- his own way—everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic under- standings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fash- ion that no nation will be in a posi- tion to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor— anywhere in the world That is no vision of a distant millennium, it is a definite basis for a world attain- able in our own time and generation ... Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere.” When the end of the war was in sight, farsighted people took the first steps in the construction of the institu- tions that they thought would help to build the kind of world that Roosevelt had envisioned. They believed that global institutions such as the United

12 The Nucleus December 2002 ents fully, is fundamental to building a Accepting, even embracing, diver- Science Sustainability peaceful world. sity must become a cornerstone of Continued from page 12 In reality, the only way to build a society. It is against our common inter- Nations, the World Bank, and the In- secure world is to change both that ests that hundreds of millions of ternational Monetary Fund would world and our way of thinking about it. women and children, living in extreme serve the world well, as indeed they Obviously, there are many steps that poverty, are unable make the best use have. None of our national leaders we can and should take now, such as of their abilities. Such discrimination, could have imagined withholding sup- better surveillance, better detective whether we focus on it or not, is port from these institutions because of methods, hardened infrastructure, morally abhorrent. a perceived lack of control over their improved methods for protecting data, Clearly, a small minority of activities. Instead, the nations of the a better understanding of people living Earth’s residents cannot continue to world recognized themselves as a in different situations, and more secure consume such a large majority of its community in which all people should ways of dealing with nuclear materials. productivity. As Ismail Serageldin 16 ultimately be able to enjoy the kinds of But we also must address the need for has put it, “…a world divided cannot specific rights embodied in Roosevelt’s constant supplies of renewable energy stand; humanity cannot survive partly Four Freedoms. Where have these and reduce our dependence on both rich and mostly poor.” Population, dreams gone? foreign and domestic sources of oil, overconsumption 20, and the use of For reasons that are starkly obvi- coal, and natural gas, putting high pri- appropriate technology must all be ous, we are now focusing our attention orities on both energy conservation and brought into the equation to achieve a on terrorism and the problems associ- alternative sources of energy. The tech- sustainable world. Nothing less than a ated with it. As the months go by, the nology to accomplish this is available, new industrial revolution 21 and a new real challenge facing us, however, will and the economic and security advan- agriculture 22 are required to make that be whether we will come to regard the tages that would accrue to the nation world possible. The task is daunting, events of September 11 as specific and are enormous. but it is one we must undertake. The short-term or will analyze their Some General Principles basic conditions for change must come underlying causes and learn how to from within us: We need new ways of We have the extraordinary privi- deal with those causes. We must learn thinking about our place in the world lege in the United States of living in a to deal justly with people around the and the ways in which we relate to nat- democracy, a system developed over world if our own hopes and aspirations ural systems in order to be able to the more than two centuries of our his- are to be realized. Despite the Lom- develop a sustainable word for our tory and based on individual expres- borgs, Economists, and Wall Street children and grandchildren 22. sion and participation. But effective Journals of the world, simply appro- Think about our relationship with participation involves access to an priating as much as possible of the Afghanistan and Pakistan. Once the appropriate level of education, as well world’s goods and processing them as Russians left Afghanistan, we left. It as widespread active involvement in efficiently as possible can never be a was a clear demonstration of our lack the political process. recipe for long-term success. of fundamental interest in the people of In a democracy, governmental The United States is a small part the region, and we all know the conse- processes must be transparent to all, of a very large, poor, and rapidly quences. Although the events that fol- participatory, and subject to review and changing world, and we, along with lowed have certainly not all been clear improvement. People must have confi- everyone else, must do a much better examples of cause and effect, there is a dence in their government. The mis- job. Sustainability science has a good relationship. In the context of this handling of the epidemic of mad cow deal to say about how we can logically global reality, how many collaborate disease in the United Kingdom pro- approach the challenges that await us, with a scientist working in an Islamic vides a vivid example of what happens but the social dimensions of our rela- country, and how many are making the to that confidence when inappropriate tionships are also of fundamental effort to nurture science there? We advice is given by governmental agen- importance. Globalization appears to need to work together to overcome the cies. have become an irresistible force, but malign effects of the September 11 Civil liberties are fundamental, we must make it participatory and events, which have put on hold efforts precious, and not to be sacrificed, how- humane to alleviate the suffering of the by scientists in Islamic nations to ever briefly, for any but the most world’s poorest people and the effec- strengthen ties among themselves and urgent reasons. Pressures on civil liber- tive disenfranchisement of many of its with the West, and we should reserve ties will increase as the world popula- nations. As many have stated in the resources to make sure that that effort tion swells and demands for enhanced context of the current world situation, succeeds 23. We also must see the esti- consumption grow. In the face of these the best defense against terrorism is an mated 6 million Muslim U.S. residents, pressures, we need to be vigilant to educated people. Education, which with their unique contributions to our protect what we consider the most promises to each individual the oppor- society, as a bridge to the vast Islamic important. tunity to express their individual tal- Continued on page 14

The Nucleus December 2002 13 starving; we have heard of merciless At the AAAS, we must be dedi- Science Sustainability dictators, of bloody civil wars, of the cated to expanding our global leader- Continued from page 13 slaughter of magnificent large animals. ship role on behalf of science and world that we understand so poorly. Many of us have learned to appreciate society. In our connected world, both Think about India and the state of 19th-century African art, but do we the associations between the dis- science and technology in that vast know what Africans are thinking about ciplines that are symbolized by our country. What do we really know about now? About their dreams and hopes; fellowship and the global connections India, and how are we working to their literary, musical, and artistic tra- are of extraordinary significance. improve our relationships with the ditions; their efforts to achieve If the United States can become world’s largest democracy? One-sixth democracy throughout the continent? more international, if we can all learn of the world’s people live in India, Are we working with African scientists to deal with the conditions of the world constituting a major economic and to help them develop advanced scien- as they really are, much more closely environmental force. But what does the tific and technical skills that they could than we have done before, we can average American really know about use to improve their lot, the sustain- begin to think about the contours of the India? How much does he or she really ability of their lands, and their contri- sort of world that we want to build for appreciate what India has to offer, or bution to global sustainability? the future. To the extent that we do try to understand its people in a psy- Many of the world’s life-support that, the operations of our individual chological sense; socially; politically; systems are deteriorating rapidly and institutions will be successful, and we in terms of its art, its writers, its his- visibly, and it is clear that in the future will be making a worthy contribution tory, its scientists, and all of the other our planet will be less diverse, less to the kind of a world where our grand- components that make up that great resilient, and less interesting than it is children would like to live. Being opti- nation? Would it not be in our com- now. In the face of these trends, the mistic about the future by wearing mon interest to engage much more most important truth is that the actual rose-colored glasses and engaging in fully, to understand, to work to build dimensions of that world will depend wishful thinking in a moral vacuum communication? Can we, in fact, hope on what we do with our many institu- constitutes a crime against our poster- to build a sustainable world without tions and with the spiritual dimensions ity, being optimistic because of a deter- such engagement? of our own dedication. In the words of mination on the part of each to Then think about Africa. We know Gandhi, “The world provides enough contribute what he or she can to make that many of its people are dying of to satisfy everyman’s need, but not the world a better place is, in the words AIDS; we know that many of them are enough for everyman’s greed.” of Kai Lee 24, engaging in a “search for a life good enough to warrant our com- forts.” As scientists, we should un- derstand this, and we must contribute what we can to improve the world and to learn to respect one another. I am confident that we will do this and determine that the AAAS will help in important ways in achieving this all- important goal. References and Notes 1. L. R. Brown, Eco-Economy, (Nor- ton, New York, 2001). 2. S. LPimm, et al., Science, 1995, 269,347; S. L Pimm, T M. Brooks, in BioDiversity, P.H. Raven, T. Williams, Eds., National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1999; S. L. Pimm, P. H. Raven, Nature, 2000, 403, 843. 3. G. C. Daily, Ed., et al., Nature’s Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems, Island Press, Washington, DC, 1997; Y. Baskin, The Work of Nature: How the Diver- sity of Lift Sustains Us, Island Press, Washington, DC..1997. Continued on page 15

14 The Nucleus December 2002 Science Sustainability Continued from page 14 Member Green

4. E. O. Wilson, The Future of Life, Knopf, New York, 2002. News Chemistry 5. S. LPimm, The World According to Stephen J. Lippard has been awarded Presidential Green Chemistry Pimm, McGrawHill, New York, the Award co-sponsored Challenge Awards Program by Northwestern University and the 2001. The program was established to recog- 6 Chicago Section, ACS. Dr. Lippard, . P. M. Vitousek et al., BioScience, nize and promote fundamental and who is the Arthur Ames Noyes Profes- 1997, 277,454; S. Rojstaczer, S. M. innovative chemical methods for pol- sor of Chemistry at M.I.T., has deliv- Sterling, N. J. Moore, Science 2001, lution prevention and are widely indus- ered the award address at the Chicago 294, 2549; C.B. Field. Science, trially applicable. Green chemistry Section’s October 18 meeting. Dr. Lip- 2001, 294, 2490. includes all aspects or types of chemi- 7 pard was being recognized for the . G. Easterbrook, A Moment on the cal processes: synthesis, catalysis, research which he described in the Earth: The Coming Age of Environ- analysis, monitoring, separations and Richards Medal Award Address in our metal Optimism, Penguin, New reaction conditions which reduce envi- Section, March 14, 2002: Bioinorganic York, 1995. ronmental or human impact. 8 chemistry – specifically the role of . B. Lomborg, The Skeptical Environ- The Awards program is open to all metal-organic compounds, such as cis- mentalist Measuring the Real State individuals, groups and organizations, platin, in cancer treatment. of the World, Cambridge Univ. including academia, government, or Press, 2001. 9 C&E News, 2002, 80 (Sept. 30), 51. industry . World Commission on Environment The deadline for receipt of appli- and Development. Our Common cations for the 2003 Awards is Decem- Future, Oxford Unlv. Press, Oxford. 17. For example, see F. Dodds, Ed., ber 31, 2002. For application forms or 1967. information, contact:[email protected], 10. M. Wackernagel, W. Rees, Our Eco- Earth Summit 2002: A New Deal, Earthscan, London. 2000; L. Starke, [email protected], or call logical Footprint: Reducing Human Richard Engler at 202-564-8740 Impact on the Earth, New Society Ed., State of the World 2002, Norton, Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, New York, 2002. 18 Canada, 1995. . P Hawken, The Ecology of Com- Biographies 11 merce, HarperCollins, New York . Board on Sustainable Development, Continued from page 5 National Research Council, Our 1993. 19 oral absorption limitations of drug can- Common Journey: A Transition . J. Lash, Science, 2001, 294, 1789. Toward Sustainability, National 20. For example, see J. B. Schor, The didates, physiologic/ pharmacokinetic Academy Press, Washington, DC, Overspent American: Why We Want computer modeling, and IVIVC. 1999. What We Don’t Need, Harper- Dr. Sutton has authored or co- authored over 70 articles, book chap- 12. D. Losman, Economic Security: A Collins, New York, 1998. National Security Folly? Cato Insti- 21. P. Hawken, A. Lovins, H. Lovins, ters, abstracts of work in progress, tute Policy Analysis No. 409, Wash- Natural Capitalism: Cresting the invited presentations and patents. ington. DC, 1 August 2001. Next Industrial Revolution, Little, Stephen Johnson received the B.S. in 13. Monthly Energy Review, U.S. Brown, New York, 1999; G.C. chemistry from the University of Energy Information Administration, Daily, K. Ellison, The New Econ- Delaware in 1994. He received the Washington, DC, February 2002. omy of Nature, Island Press, Wash- Ph.D. in chemistry in 1998 from 14. J. Lubchenco, Science, 1998, 279, ington, DC, 2002. Pennsylvania State University after 22 491. . G. Conway, The Doubly Green Rev- studying under the guidance of Profes- st 15. United Nations Development Pro- olution: Food for All In the 21 sor Peter C. Jurs. gramme, Human Development Century, Penguin, London, 1997. Dr. Johnson is a Senior Research 23 Report 2001, Making New . R. Stone, R. Koenig, Science, 2001, Investigator at the Bristol-Myers Technologies Work for Human 294, 766. Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Insti- Development, Oxford Univ. Press, 24. K.N. Lee, Compass and Gyroscope: tute in Princeton, NJ where he is New York, 2001; H.- J. Schellnhu- Integrating Science and Politics for responsible for the development and ber, V. Wenzel, Eds., Earth System the Environment, Island Press, validation of models for predictive Analysis: Integrating Science for Washington, DC. 1993. ADMET. Previously, he was a mem- Sustainability, Springer-Verlag, 25. M.S. Strauss, J.P. Holdren, S.L. ber of the Cheminformatics Depart- Berlin, 1998. Pimm made constructive comments ment at GlaxoSmithKline in 16. I. Serageldin. Science, 2002, 296, on this paper and are gratefully Philadelphia, PA in the Knowledge 54. acknowledged. Discovery group.

The Nucleus December 2002 15 successful High School Day Program cate scientific ideas by the media of Board of Directors at the Boston National ACS Meeting music and dance. Continued from page 6 and he thanked the Section for approv- Professional Relations: NESACS. Summer Research interns ing $1,000 for this event. He also Career Services: M. Chorghade and coop students will make presenta- reported on the Chemistry Olympiad in reported in writing that the Job Search, tions. the Netherlands. The US students Résumé Writing workshop program is The Committee also committed received one silver and one gold proceeding well. M. Chorghade gave $250 to Bridgewater State College for medal, with the silver medal being talks repeatedly at the Career Services its Environmental Research Sympo- awarded to Colin Whittaker from this Pavilion at the Boston National ACS sium on November 16, 2002 at Bridge- Section. In addition, of the 20 partici- Meeting in August. A new workshop water State College. Students from the pants in the Chemistry Olympiad USA “Finding Jobs in the Biotechnology Northeast have been invited to present Summer workshop, 3 were NESACS Sector” has been added and was well posters on their environmental research students, and one (Whittaker) was cho- attended. M. Chorghade organized a projects. sen to be one of the 4 representatives panel discussion on “Overcoming Cul- The 8th annual Northeast Regional from the US. tural and Linguistic Barriers in the Undergraduate Day, sponsored by the Hill Award: M. Hoffman reported for Workplace,” that was well attended Committee, will be held November 2, M. Dube that the 2002 award will be and resulted in a lively discussion. The 2002 at B.U. as part of the NCW activ- presented to Michael Hearn at the résumé review and mock interview ities. October Meeting. program is very popular, and it has Dr. Anthony Fernandez of Merri- Norris Award: P. Samuel reported in been suggested to add this feature to mack College has agreed to to serve on writing that the 2002 Award will be our Section meetings. the Chemistry Education Committee as presented to Prof. Zafra Lerman M. Chorghade will be the guest the Student Affiliate Coordinator. (Columbia College in Chicago) at the speaker at a workshop “Conducting a NESACS has been invited to pres- November 7 (note this is the FIRST Job Search” at Virginia State Univer- ent a workshop at the Sally Ride Sci- Thursday) NESACS meeting. She is sity, Blacksburg, VAon September 13. ence Festival at M.I.T. on September Director of Science Education at the Public Relations: M. Chorghade 22. This event is for middle-school college which offers degrees in fine reported that he attended a special girls. Doris Lewis of Suffolk Univer- arts and, journalism. At the Award training workshop for PR chairs at the sity will assist him at the workshop. Meeting she will demonstrate with Boston National ACS meeting. S. Lantos reported on the very some of her students how to communi- Other Committees: Continuing Education: A. Viola reported that at the National ACS Meeting in Boston, a full slate of Short Courses had been listed, but several had to be canceled because of low par- ticipation. However, one course: The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action had over 60 enrollees, with only 10 being from the Northeast. Therefore it was suggested that NESACS offer this course in the fall. The course will be given November 20-21. at Northeastern University. Northeast Regional Meeting (NERM): H. Mayne reported that the 2003 NERM will be hosted by the Eastern New York Section, to meet June 15-18 in Saratoga Springs, NY; NERM 2004 will be hosted by the Rochester Section, to meet October 31- November 3, 2004 in Rochester, NY. NERM 2005 will be hosted by the Western Connecticut Section, to meet at Sacred Heart University (date to be announced). Continued on page 17

16 The Nucleus December 2002 DIRECTORY Pictures from Board of Directors SERVICES Continued from page 16 Meetings (Photos by M.Z. Hoffman) NERM 2001 at Durham, NH had a positive balance of about $10,000 National ACS Meeting, Boston, MA, which will be distributed to the several August 18-22, 2002 Sections participating. It was suggested to use the NESACS share of money received from NERM 2001 to sponsor students and teachers to attend future NERM meetings. It was suggested that future NERM meetings be advertised in the NUCLEUS and on our website. “The NUCLEUS, in the past, has included The Student Affiliate Chapter at Bridgewater State College which hosted the Undergraduate such NERM materials as were avail- Social. Faculty advisors Ed Brush (front right), able to it, usually including the list of Frank Gorga (back, second from right) invited speakers, and of symposia, in Connections to Chemistry, Burlington, addition to registration information; MA High School October 9, 2002 ed.” Natl. Chemistry Week: D. Lewis, reporting for S. Iacobucci, stated that the chief event will be the Phyllis A. Brauner Memorial Lecture at the Museum of Science, to be given by Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri on Sunday October 20, to be repeated to inner city school students on Monday, Octo- Carl M. Selavka, Director, Mass. State Police ber 21. Arrangements for busing chil- Crime Laboratory presenting his keynote dren to this event are under way. D. address: Don’t Get Your Genes in a Bunch Lewis asked for volunteers to help at NESACS Meeting at Henderson House, the museum. October 10, 2002 The 2002 theme is “Keeping Us Clean.” which will be combined with the current theme at the museum: Ancient Egypt. Phyllis A. Brauner Memorial Lecture Committee: D. Lewis presented an extensive report of the meetings of the committee. Fundraising is under way toward a $150,000 goal. Large contri- Henry A. Hill Award Group (l. to r.): M. Dube butions ($2,500 or more) may be (Award Committee, chair), Michael J. Hearn matched by the ACS National Chem- (Henry A. Hill Awardee), Jean A. Fuller-Stanley istry Week Foundation. The fund will (NESACS Chair-elect designate) be placed with the national ACS, but proceeds earmarked for the Brauner Memorial Lectures, as directed by NESACS. Summerthing: M. Hoffman reported for W. Gleekman that for the May 22 Red Sox game 300 tickets had been ordered and sold, for the July 25 game 230 tickets had been ordered and sold, Esther A.H. Hopkins (center) receiving the for the game during the National Award for Recognition of 30- years of dedicated Meeting, 400 tickets had been ordered service to the Northeastern Section, flanked by Anne O’Brien (left) Director of District I and and sold. The June 9 visit of the speaker at the meeting, and by Morton Z. Hoff- Continued on page 20 man (right) NESACS Chair.

The Nucleus December 2002 17 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES

18 The Nucleus December 2002 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

SERVICES CAREER OPPS CAREER OPPS

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The Nucleus December 2002 19 avr,M 01451 Harvard, MA 19 Mill Road

Dec 3 Prof. Scott Auerbach (UMass Amherst) TBA (Physical Chemistry Seminar) Brandeis University, Gerstenzang 122, Board of Directors 4:00 pm Continued from page 17 Ms. Nicole Lee (UMass Boston graduate student) Saugus Iron Works reconstruction was Literature seminar attended by 6 members and a spouse UMass Boston, Science Building (S-1-089), and child. 4:30 pm Younger Chemists: Application for the Hua Zho (UNH) 2003 exchange program with the Ger- TBA (Organic) man GDCh Jungchemikerforum are UNH, Room L103, 11:10 am being accepted. The locations will be Dec 5 Munich and Dresden, Feb. 23-Mar.1. Prof. Nancy Gordon (Univ. of Southern Maine) A National YCC Leadership “Unpredictable Kinetics: The reaction of Development Workshop that was held [Co(NH ) H O]3+ with cysteine and glutathione” 3 5 2 at the West Central and Southeast UNH, Room L103, 11:10 am Regional Meetings (1-2 day seminars), AMERICAN CHEMICAL U.S. POSTAGE PAID OPOI ORG. NONPROFIT NORTHEASTERN Dec 9 was attended by A. Tapper who SOCIETY SECTION Prof. Shana Kelley (Boston College) received a National ACS Award for her “Novel Peptidointercalators as Nucleic Acid YCC leadership activities. She also Probes” was a speaker at a Career Workshop Boston Univ., Metcalf Science and Engineering Center, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, at the Interregional Symposium on Science Center Auditorium, Material Sciences and Life Sciences. SCI/107, 4 pm New Business: M. Hoffman recom- Prof. John Gross (Harvard Univ.) mended that a Finance Committee be TBA (Biochemistry) created as a Special Committee to pro- Calendar MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm vide an ongoing timely review of the Dec 10 financial health of the Section. Mem- For additional information, call: Weimin Lin bers are to include the Budget Com- Am. Assoc. Clinical Chemists - (617) 732-5656, TBA mittee, as well as a NESACS member pager 11161 UNH, Room L103, 11:10 am who is not currently on the Board of Boston College - (617) 552-2605 Boston Glycobiology - (781) 642-0025 Dec 11 Directors. The committee is to meet Boston University - (617) 353-4277 Prof. George McLendon (Princeton Univ.) four times a year and would make its Brandeis University - (781) 736-2500 TBA (Inorganic Chemistry) recommendations to the Board of Dartmouth College - (603) 646-2501 MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm Directors. Harvard University - (617) 495-4198 Mass. Inst. Technology - (617) 253-1803 Prof. Scott Miller (Boston College) No Bylaws amendments are Northeastern University - (617) 373-2822 “Discovery of Minimal Peptide Catalysts for required for setting up special commit- Tufts University - (617) 627-2634 Asymmetric Synthesis” tees. UMass Boston - (617) 287-6130 U Mass Dartmouth,Group II, Room 115 Science and Engineering Building, J. Neumeyer MOVED and H. UMass Dartmouth - (508) 999-8232 Brown SECONDED that it be the UMass Lowell - (978) 934-3675 4 pm Sense of the Board to establish a Univ. of New Hampshire - (603) 862-1550 Dec 16 Check the NESACS Homepage for late Finance Committee, as described in the Prof. Benjamin List (The Scripps Institute) additions: http://www.NESACS.org Minutes. PASSED. “Asymmetric Aminocatalysis” Note also the Chemistry Department Web pages Harvard Univ., Pfizer Lecture Hall, for driving directions and updates. For example: 4:15 pm http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/ Michael Yaffe ( MIT Biology) http://www-chem.harvard.edu/events/ TBA (Biochemistry) http://www.umassd.edu MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chem/ Dec 2 Dec 18 Daniel Kramer (MIT, Davison Research Group) Prof. David Wales (Univ. of Cambridge) The NESACS website TBA (Inorganic Chemistry) “Taking a Walk on an Energy Landscape” MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm Joint Harvard-BU-MIT-- Theoretical Chemistry Lecture Series MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Notices for the Nucleus Rm 31-161, 3:00 pm Calendar should be sent to: WWW.NESACS.org Prof. Joseph Jarrett (Univ. of Pennsylvania) Dr. Donald O. Rickter, 88 Hemlock St., TBA (Biochemistry) Arlington, MA 02474-2157 MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm e-mail: [email protected] Have you looked at it?