Mad Scientist

[mathlegend]

What major, if any, will allow me to conduct crazy, cool experiments? Would it be as a chemistry major or a chemical engineering major?

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[tennisball80]

In my opinion, Chemistry would definitely be the major with many experiments.

 

[Vicviper]

I think chem, in bio you'd run into a ton of ethical problems. My Ochem teacher said that when he worked in industry, his company wanted to make a way to make polyester out of tar sludge oil, and it was like crazy expensive, and they made a tie and gave it to the president of the company, and it cost like 2 million bucks.

 

[greatnt249]

What major, if any, will allow me to conduct crazy, cool experiments? Would it be as a chemistry major or a chemical engineering major?

"Crazy cool" in the visual sense depends on the reaction you're running, but otherwise yeah, chemistry's a good route to go.

 

[Evergrey]

"Crazy cool" in the visual sense depends on the reaction you're running, but otherwise yeah, chemistry's a good route to go.

My orgo professor gave us a lecture (no joke) that began with -- "Since I'm teaching you reactions that include how to synthesize methamphetamine, you guys need to recognize that with knowledge comes responsibility. I don't want any of you actually making these drugs."

Apparently a couple years ago a student was convicted for ordering chemical precursors from Sigma-Aldrich and trying to make meth from them

 

[mathlegend]

I think chem, in bio you'd run into a ton of ethical problems. My Ochem teacher said that when he worked in industry, his company wanted to make a way to make polyester out of tar sludge oil, and it was like crazy expensive, and they made a tie and gave it to the president of the company, and it cost like 2 million bucks.

Thats interesting, what a special tie!

My orgo professor gave us a lecture (no joke) that began with -- "Since I'm teaching you reactions that include how to synthesize methamphetamine, you guys need to recognize that with knowledge comes responsibility. I don't want any of you actually making these drugs."

Apparently a couple years ago a student was convicted for ordering chemical precursors from Sigma-Aldrich and trying to make meth from them

Wow. I think I heard some stuff like that before.


And so I guess the general consensus is plain ole chemistry is they way to go?

 

[NickNaylor]

Chemistry + specialization in organic chemistry.

 

[mathlegend]

Oh, so most of the "cool" stuff comes in organic chemistry?

 

[Bacchus]

Yes, but I don't know any programs with a BS in organic chemistry. You usually take the field as a PhD student. Try to get involved in inorganic research, if you want. Be aware! It is stinky.

 

[mathlegend]

Stinky? Like rotten eggs? =O

 

[loveoforganic]

Nothing has the potential to be as stinky as organic chem research. Cadavarene, putrescene, methylamine, etc.

 

[greatnt249]

Nothing has the potential to be as stinky as organic chem research. Cadavarene, putrescene, methylamine, etc.

Pyridine, any mercapto- compound, etc.

 

[Bacchus]

Organic also can smell heavenly... most flavoring compounds and aromatics are made in the lab. Biochemical research, anyway you look at it, just stinks.

 

[loveoforganic]

Fair enough

 

[Bacchus]

You can't even run a gel without smelling rotten eggs. The simplest of things. Need the B-mercaptoethanol to break down the sulfide bridges. Blech.

 

[mathlegend]

Hmmm I'll realize what you guys are talking about in 4 years when I take ochem

 

[AryaStark]

I work in a nontraditional "lab." A PSYCHOLOGY lab. I happen to think those are pretty cool experiments. Researching human and animal behavior and brain processes is more fun to me than mixing chemicals However, I like working with people and was never very good at AP Chem. However, don't count it out. There are a lot of interesting experiments one can do with rats, monkeys, babies, medication etc etc.

 

[QofQuimica]

I did my PhD in organic chemistry and of course I'm biased, but I agree it's incredibly cool. I wasn't a huge fan of biology (too much memorization) and gen chem and physics kind of bored me (just glorified math classes), but organic is truly a beautiful thing. I will warn you though that working in an organic research lab can be incredibly frustrating. The experimental difficulties haven't all been worked out by someone else like they have been for a sophomore level lab course.

If anyone is interested in discussing going into organic, I'd be happy to talk some more about it. There are definitely days when I'm kind of sorry that I went to med school instead of staying in chemistry....

 

[loveoforganic]

On the frustrating comment... My first semester of organic research I ran (I use this term in a very, very loose sense ) a reaction with three different reagent compositions (varying concentrations and w or w/o co-catalyst) under a total of I think it was 15 different conditions (varying temperature, under nitrogen, etc) with each reaction having a two day duration. And not a single one produced products. I don't mean the desired product. I mean NR whatsoever. >.<

 

[mathlegend]

I did my PhD in organic chemistry and of course I'm biased, but I agree it's incredibly cool. I wasn't a huge fan of biology (too much memorization) and gen chem and physics kind of bored me (just glorified math classes), but organic is truly a beautiful thing. I will warn you though that working in an organic research lab can be incredibly frustrating. The experimental difficulties haven't all been worked out by someone else like they have been for a sophomore level lab course.

If anyone is interested in discussing going into organic, I'd be happy to talk some more about it. There are definitely days when I'm kind of sorry that I went to med school instead of staying in chemistry....

Why did you decide to go into medicine? Something in there thats more appealing than chemistry?

 

[greatnt249]

On the frustrating comment... My first semester of organic research I ran (I use this term in a very, very loose sense ) a reaction with three different reagent compositions (varying concentrations and w or w/o co-catalyst) under a total of I think it was 15 different conditions (varying temperature, under nitrogen, etc) with each reaction having a two day duration. And not a single one produced products. I don't mean the desired product. I mean NR whatsoever. >.<

That'll happen. I spent an entire summer with the goal of getting above a 10% yield on a difficult reaction...nada. What did I learn? I learned that sometimes, 10% yield is the best you can expect from certain reactions.

 

[QofQuimica]

Why did you decide to go into medicine? Something in there thats more appealing than chemistry?

I wanted to do clinical research, and it's harder to do that with just a PhD. PhD and MD training are worlds apart. Unless your PhD is clinically oriented, you probably won't have the experience needed to appreciate the realities of how things are done in clinical practice. Often, PhDs in basic science fields are not well equipped to work with patients or appreciate the nature of the work needed to go from bench to bedside. Basically, your perspective on the intersection between medicine and basic science research totally changes--at least, mine has.

 

[greatnt249]

Why did you decide to go into medicine? Something in there thats more appealing than chemistry?

Because I'd rather figure out how to apply others' research to heal people than carve out my own tiny niche in science and try to convince others how fascinating my life's work in physical organic chemistry synthesis is.