Announcing the Tree Town Chemistry Photo Contest

Science is cool. If you're reading this blog, you don't need any convincing on that point. But, there are some days when science is cooler than usual. The day you fill the laser lab with mist. The day you've got an air-free reaction rig that's bigger than you. The day you get the hugest, prettiest crystals.

I want to see that day. It's time for a Tree Town Chemistry photo contest.

It's Time to Face Your Fear of Scorpionates

Scorpions.

The little arachnids are one of the most recognizable members of the animal kingdom. Just reading the word conjures images - perhaps of monsters with fangs and spines dripping with venom, perhaps of a household pe(s)t, perhaps of Dwayne Johnson. No matter the association, the scorpion is an iconic figure.

For inorganic chemists, scorpions are associated with a broad class of metal-organic complexes with a unique molecular shape. These molecules are called scorpionates.