
29.7.10/1:55 pm

The big thaw might well be on its way but should we ever find ourselves faced with such freezing weather conditions again, it’s good to know that – thanks to chemistry − at least we won’t have to panic about how much grit we don’t have. In this item from a recent Radio 4 Today programme, Martyn Poliakoff, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, presents a scientific view of how to grit your path – we need never rely solely on grit again!
On a related note, it’s nice to see the BBC is giving chemistry its fair share of airtime. Next Thursday 21st January sees the start of a three-part series on BBC4 called ‘Chemistry: A Volatile History’ presented by Jim Al-khalili. The series will look at how the elements were discovered and mapped, and explores how new approaches to splitting matter brought both remarkable elements and the new science of chemistry – definitely one worth watching!