New College Major Needed Chemistry Theory and Human Health
06 24 2012
This new college major would focus on presenting students
with the molecular structures of chemicals and asking them to speculate what
the impact on human health could be.
This exercise would also include students speculating on how the
chemical might interact in the environment both short term and over time. This major would also ask the students to
come up with theories on how a chemical molecule would affect human
reproductive health. The assignments
would also include asking the students to speculate on the interaction with
various human organs.
The reason for the class would be to help chemists think
more responsibly about the chemicals that are produced for profit. This would create a new generation of
chemists who are more responsible to our world and should be both a mandatory
class the chemistry major takes when he has attained a higher level of aptitude
but not graduated. A secondary reason
would be to get chemicals off the market before they are found far too late in
the process to be harmful and costly to our world.
Students would also be asked to speculate on how to neutralize
the chemical- every chemical should indeed have an antidote? What would be the cost of a potential catastrophe of this chemical and how such a catastrophe could be minimized or quickly cleaned up. What hypothetical catastrophes could be caused by and irresponsible user of the chemical. What would be the hypothetical first signs a human being would experience if overexposed.
If a criminal minded person wanted to find a sick use for this chemical; what would it be? What would the motivation be.
Students would also be asked to speculate on given the
nature of a chemical and what its purpose is how could they find a better
alternative that is more safe. Natural
solutions or solutions that involved process based chemistry would be would be
favored. Process based chemistry being
defined to be how can we achieve the same effect of this chemical without using
a chemical at all. In other words can we
define a natural process that would achieve the same effect. This would involve an abstract understanding
of the chemistry of the chemical and an abstract understanding of a natural
process that would be the equivalent chemistry; translation learning of alchemy
to rolled up sleeves if you will.
We needed this major to be part of the Chemistry coriculum retroactively to 80 years ago.
© 2012 Thomas Paul Murphy
Originally published on 06 24 2012 at: www.themilwaukeeandwisconsinnews.blogspot.com
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