CHAPTER 5: Chemistry, Chemicals and Chemists

Chemistry has the worst reputation of all the major sciences. The Royal Society of Chemistry found in 2015 that the public associated chemistry most strongly with the words, “school”, “teacher”, “intimidating” and “inaccessible” among others. Almost all of the word-association responses were negative or neutral—and only one in 20 was positive (“medicine”). The duty of care with which chemistry teachers treat their students inadvertently creates a fear of laboratories and the chemicals that they produce. Indeed, laboratories can be hazardous places so teachers must not tone down their fear-mongering tone in any attempt to abate or prevent chemophobia. Rather, the best approach would be to teach more purification techniques and real-world applications of how chemistry creates and purifies rather than pollutes and destroys. Fictional scientists in books and films are too often portrayed as mad or evil. This unfortunate image feeds the stereotype that chemists create tools of destruction. Having more scientists speak out publicly and having a chemistry icon present chemistry topics in a meaningful and engaging manner would improve the image of chemists and chemicals significantly.