Chemistry enables the best of the modern world, keeping us better fed, more healthy and with more leisure activities than at any time in history. Yet, we live in a time when much of society is averse to chemicals. Examples of good done by the chemical enterprise will be shared, as well as the origin of chemistry’s bad reputation. Chemists, dating back to the alchemists, expand what is possible in nature and, in so doing, made great improvements. Unpleasant surprises have come with the advances, fueling negative views of chemistry. More commonly, ambiguity in what constitutes acceptable risks creates uncertainty that taints the enterprise. Chemistry’s unique position as the only science that alters the natural world is changing. Chemists, with centuries of experience, provide the experience base to guide future development.

The good, The bad and the uncertain: Public perception of the chemical enterprise

254th National Meeting (2017)

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