Chemical Sciences in the Modern World

It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of the chemical sciences to the modern world. In the last 150 years, they have transformed our physical environment, our material culture, our manner of living, and even our persons—and they are continuing to do so in profound ways. Yet the detailed and systematic study of the history of the modern chemical sciences has been relatively late in coming.

This compilation of essays by leading scholars represents the first fruits of modern historical scholarship. The essays vary in form and content: some represent detailed, original research; others are cast as synoptic blueprints for future research in major domains of scholarship; still others are provocative reflections on the opportunities and challenges facing historians of chemical sciences and industries and their audiences.

The essays in Part One deal with the experimental generation of new chemical knowledge, the nature of theories about chemical knowledge, and the reception of new knowledge by the chemical community. Part Two is devoted primarily to the development of modern industrial chemistry. Part Three is concerned with preserving archives and artifacts owned by public and private institutions, with making the history of chemistry accessible to persons interested but not trained in history, and with helping both policymakers and the general public to understand the policy issues involving the chemical sciences and industries trough the insights provided by historical research. Part Four, the concluding section, discusses future prospects for the history f the chemical sciences, addressing questions about methodology, audience, and new directions for research.