Fixing chemistry’s branding problem

‘So, what do you do?’ My response to this question has resulted in glazed eyes, awkward silences and panicked conversation changes at family functions, first dates and house parties alike. ‘I’m doing a chemistry PhD’ seems to be the kryptonite of even the most talented small talkers and social chameleons. But why does my seemingly innocuous answer cause such a visceral reaction?

So far, my best conclusion is that chemistry has a branding issue. Even in comparison to the other sciences, there is something about chemistry that immediately deflates a conversation. Physics has the wonders of space and the discoveries of energy and electricity that power the modern world, biology encompasses all of nature, health and medicine. Whereas chemistry produces an image of white coats in labs with no clear, tangible connection to real life. As chemists, we know this isn’t the case: the work we and others have done in a lab is fundamental to all parts of daily life, but getting this idea across to a second cousin at a family gathering is challenging.