10/5/10. Which chemists do you suppose will get the call from Sweden this year?
I’ll guess Breslow or Whitesides again.
But then, what about some catalyst guys? Heck, Tsuji, Suzuki, Sonogashira, to name a few? (D’oh!! Are they all alive?) Think about how normal it has become to do an aryl coupling reaction with a boronic acid and a PGM or Ni. Look at the wide variety of boronates on the market as well as the endless array of catalysts and ligands for coupling transformations.
This is what happens to industrial chemists mid-career. We lose track of what is hot in the field as a whole. We’re burrowed deep into the hide of one kind of proprietary technology or other and locked into place by the golden shackles of confidentiality. Pretty soon there are entire fields of endeavor that you’ve never heard of and thirty year old rock star professors who sport big grants and hoards of enthusiastic young acolytes.
Lamentations on Chemistry 
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/htoo.htm
Dr. Schund, how may we obtain an inexpensive environmentally-compassionate infinite fuel and energy supply independent of petroleum whores and maize pimps?
ACS’ “Project SEED” has put America up to its chin in chemical diversity. Social hegemony will be ours! (OK, not “Chin.” Maybe its Garcia and MBweBwe.)
http://www.diversity.umich.edu/programs/
92 clickable lines of diversity! U of M has zero Gifted programs. No evil-IQ at U of M!
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Walked past Breslow on the way home Tuesday night. I looked over at the wife and said ‘that man might get a phone call from Sweden early tomorrow morning’. I guess he’ll have to wait another year…
I guess I’ll just have to pull out my Lamentations on Chemistry stationery and write a letter of recommendation.
My God! Do I have to do everything myself!!