Of Science and Sonnets

Michael Edmonds at Molecular Matters contemplates why the general public seems unconvinced that doing science is as much a creative endeavor as creating art or writing poetry. This may be, in part, because "it is easier for the average person to understand — at least superficially — what a painter, poet, or artist does," than to comprehend the seemingly recondite "realm of the scientist," according to Edmonds. In addition, "most people associate the term creativity with that which is fun, frivolous, or entertaining," he says, adding that these terms are not typically used to describe scientific research. However, "just as the poet rearranges the words that are available to all into something with unique meaning and beauty, the medicinal chemist manipulates molecules to afford a previously unknown structure," Edmonds writes, adding that it takes a significant amount of creativity "to produce a novel molecule while requiring it to have specific properties or applications."