The American Chemical Society (ACS) will celebrate 30 years of National Chemistry Week (NCW) from Sunday, Oct. 22, to Saturday, Oct. 28, with the theme “Chemistry Rocks!” As part of the celebration, ACS is releasing a new Reactions video that explains how scientists figured out that the Earth is 4.565 billion years old.
NCW has introduced hundreds of thousands of young people to the wonders of science and helped launch careers in science, technology, engineering, medicine and other fields. NCW brings chemists together with students, teachers, business leaders and the general public to promote awareness of the value of chemistry in people’s everyday lives.
Thousands of ACS volunteers, teachers and students celebrate NCW in their communities and schools each year. They organize hands-on activities and science demonstrations at malls, libraries, museums, schools, colleges and universities, state fairs, and other locations all over the U.S.
NCW’s origins date back to 1986, when ACS decided to organize a national event celebrating the impact of chemistry. The first National Chemistry Day took place on Nov. 6, 1987. The undertaking soon evolved into an expanded annual event, National Chemistry Week, which takes place in the fourth week of every October.
The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
