science

  • Teaching from models

    I decided to call this blog The Model Kit because the way that I have come to approach teaching organic chemistry is to begin with these simple physical molecular models and to teach the subject in a similar way as an artist learns to draw by observing an object. Learning organic chemistry is often compared

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  • The Ivory Tower, pt. 1

    At 45 years of age, I’m looking back and reflecting on the fact that I’ve spent most of my adult life in academia. I’m not sure whether I should find this surprising. I feel like I’m suited to it, but things could have turned out very differently. I always did exceedingly well on standardized tests,

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  • Our Chiral World

    Using the insights from organic chemistry to understand asymmetries everywhere. Asymmetries make the world interesting. They also arise spontaneously in the evolution of complex systems such as living beings. Asymmeties abound in organic biological molecules such as proteins, carbohydrates and the building blocks of DNA because carbon-based molecules share a property we are familiar with

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