March 30
11:00 am, Glaske C101
LeTourneau University, Longview, TX
Five Chemistry Discoveries that Changed the World
Chemistry is a broad yet fascinating subject where we discover how making changes at the atomic level can have a massive impact on the macroscopic scale. In many instances, the study of chemistry is that of pure curiosity and a desire to expand knowledge. In other instances, the discoveries find use in commercial applications and thus have the potential to impact a civilization. In this seminar, we are going to survey various chemical processes that affected the world as we know it. In some instances, the impact on society seems positive. In other cases, such discoveries opened Pandora’s box and had a negative effect on the world around us. As typical of many discoveries, it is unclear whether the immediate benefits outweigh the overall impact it has on humanity. In this talk, we are going to focus in on the history of each discovery, the process itself, and the impact it had on society. The intent of this discussion is to demonstrate the importance of chemistry and reveal how it impacts our everyday lives.
