Chemicals

7 Pages 1857 Words

Abstract: Chemistry is by far the most productive science concerning the number of publications. A closer look at
chemical papers reveals that most papers deal with new substances. The rapid growth of chemical knowledge seriously
challenges all institutions and individuals concerned with chemistry. Chemistry documentation following the principle of
completeness is required to schematize chemical information, which in turn induces a schematization of chemical
research. Chemistry education is forced to seek reasonable principles of selectivity, although nobody can have an
overview any more. Philosophical evaluation of the growth of chemical knowledge proves that at the same time chemical
‘nonknowledge’ increases more rapidly. An analysis of reasons, why chemists are making new substances at all, shows
that the proliferation of new substances is for most part an end in itself. The present paper finally argues for the need of a
rational discourse among chemists on the aims of chemistry.



1. Introduction: The exponential growth of chemistry

Looking retrospectively at chemistry at the end of the 20th century, we use to emphasize the great achievements of the century.
In that regard, the record of Nobel prizes nicely provides us with one highlight per year. However, without diminishing these
honorable achievements, such a retrospective view needs correction in two regards. First, a single achievement can by no
means be representative of several hundred thousand other achievements made in the same year. And secondly, it gives the
impression that science would grow linearly, with a constant number of achievements per year. Instead, science grows
exponentially with doubling times of 12-15 years (Price, 1961). Only during the past 15 years we saw more chemistry
publications than had been written ever before (CAS, 1998). And this year chemists will publish a hundred time...