The Chemist in Industrial Research

Abstract

The main justification for undertaking a career in industrial chemical research is that it is fun. It is fun because it is big game, played for big stakes; the end results depend entirely on your skill as a player and your performance as a member of the team. The type or size of league does not make too much difference, so long as you are in a game that tests your skills to the limit. Let's look at some analogies between research in industry and some of the more conventional sports. Your basic and skills are qualities you have acquired or developed in your years as a student. College is a type of training school in which, hopefully, you have learned the fundamentals of chemistry, something of their application, and where to find what others have done before you; to evaluate the work of others and to tell good work from bad; and finally, ...