Chemistry as a noun has two completely distinct meanings in every day life:- A good social relationship:
"It was visible that there was chemistry between those two people"
- Something related to a compound that is supposedly bad for people or the environment. "Chemical" is often used as synomymous with poisonous:
"A chemical leaked from the container into the sea, endangering the fish"
As a chemist, I wish I could change the negative connotation of molecular chemistry in the news. But if I really do not succeed, maybe I can influence the social meaning of chemistry to make things consistent:
"There was chemistry between those two! When they first met, she tried to poison him. As soon as he recovered he exploded in anger."
Somehow I feel this would not be as satisfying.
[image credit: Nic McPhee on flickr]
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Reminds me of Dave Gorman quote: "spent time and diagrams convincing pub quiz master that chemical most common in swimming pools is water, not chlorine".
ReplyDelete@Coops, didn't know that one ;-) I would indeed also become defensive, likely only annoying the pub quiz master....
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