ANAHEIM, March 27 2011 — Scientists are spending scarce government money to study mysterious black stripes in the rainbow of light given off by celestial objects millions of light-years across the universe. There is no practical use for knowledge about these colors missing from the glow of Andromeda, Triangulum and other distant galaxies. Nevertheless, their research on this arcane topic, termed Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs), gives birth to a new, multibillion-dollar-per-year industry on Earth.
Unlikely as it may sound, that scenario actually happened, and a Nobel laureate today cited it as a prime example of why society should continue funding research in astronomy and other scientific disciplines that has no obvious immediate use.
"The potential benefits of spending money to understand what's going on across the galaxy, despite these tough economic times, are enormous," Harold Kroto, Ph.D., said in a presentation at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. "It is absolutely vital that the public realize that some of the most important discoveries are the unexpected ones."
The meeting, being held here this week, is one of the largest scientific conferences of 2011. It will include almost 9,500 technical presentations, with an attendance estimated at 13,000. Held during the International Year of Chemistry (IYC), it will take place at the Anaheim Convention and Exhibition Center and at area hotels.
Kroto, who is with Florida State University, shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Robert Curl and the late Richard Smalley for the discovery of carbon-60 — or Buckminsterfullerene or "buckyball" — a new form of carbon that gave birth to nanotechnology. Estimates suggest that global sales of nanotechnology products, tools, and devices will top $20 billion in 2011 and $1.5 trillion by 2015.
In his presentation, Kroto explained how the quest to understand DIBs ultimately led to discovery of buckyballs, as scientists did laboratory experiments to test theories about the nature of DIBs.
Kroto's talk is one of several presentations that are part of the ACS meeting's multidisciplinary program that includes the theme of the Chemistry of Natural Resources. Other presentations in the symposium's plenary session include
The American Chemical Society is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.