A reductionist philosophy, arbitrarily proclaiming that the growth of understanding must go
only in one direction, makes no scientific sense.
—Freeman Dyson, 1995
***
Chemistry stands at the pivot of science. On the one hand it deals with biology and provides
explanations for the processes of life. On the other hand it mingles with physics and finds
explanations for chemical phenomena in the fundamental processes and particles of the
universe. Chemistry links the familiar with the fundamental.
—Peter Atkins, 1987
The chemists are a strange class of mortals, impelled by an almost insane impulse to seek
their pleasure amid smoke and vapor, soot and flame, poisons and poverty. Yet among all
these evils I seem to live so sweetly that I may die if I were to change places with the
Persian king.
—Johann Joachim Becher, 1667
A tidy laboratory means a lazy chemist.
—Jöns Jacob Berzelius, 1812
A chemist who does not know mathematics is seriously handicapped.
—Irving Langmuir
5
A chemist who is not a physicist is nothing at all.
—Robert Bunsen
6
Chemistry is the dirty part of physics.
—Johann Philipp Reis
7
Chemistry has been named by the physicist as the messy part of physics, but that is no
reason why physicists should be permitted to make a mess of chemistry when they invade
it.
—Frederick Soddy, 1946
Physicists use excellent methods to study poor materials, chemists use poor methods to
study excellent materials, and physical chemists use poor methods to study poor materials.
—Hans Heinrich Landolt
8
Between physics and chemistry, it is hard to know who should study what molecule.
—Philip Morrison, 1995
***
5
As quoted, without a date, by Albert Rosenfeld in 1962.
6
As quoted, without a date, by J. R. Partington in 1961.
7
As quoted, without a date, by R. Oesper in 1975.
8
To estimate this semi-joke, note that the author (of the Landolt-Börnstein database fame) was one
of the pioneers of physical chemistry.
44
On Sciences and Technologies
only in one direction, makes no scientific sense.
—Freeman Dyson, 1995
***
Chemistry stands at the pivot of science. On the one hand it deals with biology and provides
explanations for the processes of life. On the other hand it mingles with physics and finds
explanations for chemical phenomena in the fundamental processes and particles of the
universe. Chemistry links the familiar with the fundamental.
—Peter Atkins, 1987
The chemists are a strange class of mortals, impelled by an almost insane impulse to seek
their pleasure amid smoke and vapor, soot and flame, poisons and poverty. Yet among all
these evils I seem to live so sweetly that I may die if I were to change places with the
Persian king.
—Johann Joachim Becher, 1667
A tidy laboratory means a lazy chemist.
—Jöns Jacob Berzelius, 1812
A chemist who does not know mathematics is seriously handicapped.
—Irving Langmuir
5
A chemist who is not a physicist is nothing at all.
—Robert Bunsen
6
Chemistry is the dirty part of physics.
—Johann Philipp Reis
7
Chemistry has been named by the physicist as the messy part of physics, but that is no
reason why physicists should be permitted to make a mess of chemistry when they invade
it.
—Frederick Soddy, 1946
Physicists use excellent methods to study poor materials, chemists use poor methods to
study excellent materials, and physical chemists use poor methods to study poor materials.
—Hans Heinrich Landolt
8
Between physics and chemistry, it is hard to know who should study what molecule.
—Philip Morrison, 1995
***
5
As quoted, without a date, by Albert Rosenfeld in 1962.
6
As quoted, without a date, by J. R. Partington in 1961.
7
As quoted, without a date, by R. Oesper in 1975.
8
To estimate this semi-joke, note that the author (of the Landolt-Börnstein database fame) was one
of the pioneers of physical chemistry.
44
On Sciences and Technologies