Hello, world.
Aside from taking up a few minutes of someone else’s time, what is the purpose of writing science? More specifically, what place does scientific writing have in the life of a layman? This is a question that cannot be given a simple answer, rather, several reasons are behind our motivation to create this website as a scientific tool.
As the photo suggests, The Skeptical Chemist is a play on—or rather, a modern-day interpretation of—’The Sceptical Chymist’, a book by the great Robert Boyle. Some of you might already know him as the creator of Boyle’s Law (P1V1 = P2V2), if you paid attention in high school chemistry class.
Lawrence Principe wrote in his Nature publication “In retrospect: The Sceptical Chymist”* that “Boyle believed that chemistry should be much more. For him, it was the key to understanding nature. ‘The Sceptical Chymist’ was supposedly the key to understanding modern chemistry as more than just an adjunct to alchemy, but sadly neither the book nor Boyle achieved this in their time.
It is, therefore, our lofty ambition to use this website both as an educational resource and to succeed where ‘The Sceptical Chymist’ failed. We aim to elevate the status of science, to free it from servitude to medical and commercial endeavors and instead use it for exploring and explaining the hidden workings of nature.
On one hand, our articles will bring you insights into the science of nature, how things and processes around us work. On the other, they contain referenced facts and figures normally found only in journal articles to a wider audience.
Science isn’t just for scientists; everyone can witness the power of science-based evidence.
Because rational and logical thinking provides us with the best tools to filter the truth from the lies around us. And from this approach to life comes true curiosity and enjoyment of learning. That’s what education is—or rather, should be—about.
UPDATE: As of 24 April 2022, The Skeptical Chemist has been renamed to FTLOScience (For the Love of Science!)
*Reference doi:10.1038/469030a licensed by Nature Publishing Group (License Number: 4067520038634)
About the Author
Sean is a consultant for clients in the pharmaceutical industry and is an associate lecturer at La Trobe University, where unfortunate undergrads are subject to his ramblings on chemistry and pharmacology.
