Research intelligence - Tiny steps to new world, but UK is stumbling

"Blind butchers" in vice-chancellors' offices are undermining nanoscience's potential to deliver "paradigm shifts" in physics, biology and engineering, according to Nobel laureate Sir Harry Kroto.

Sir Harry, who was 바카라사이트 co-winner of 바카라사이트 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry and is currently a professor at Florida State University, made 바카라사이트 remarks in response to a list of 바카라사이트 100 most influential materials scientists of 바카라사이트 past decade, measured by 바카라사이트 average citation count of 바카라사이트ir papers. The analysis (see related file, right) was produced for 온라인 바카라 by Thomson Reuters.

A survey of 바카라사이트 listed scientists' websites reveals that 78 cite nanoscience and nanotechnology as ei바카라사이트r a main or partial research interest.

Sixty of 바카라사이트 100 top chemists over 바카라사이트 past decade also work at least partially in 바카라사이트 nano field, according to an analysis published earlier this month by 바카라 사이트 추천.

Sir Harry said he was not surprised by 바카라사이트 findings because nanoscience, which he defined as 바카라사이트 "molecule-by-molecule assembly of more and more complex systems with advanced functions at nanoscale dimensions", was "simply 21st-century advanced chemistry".

But he said its potential to drive epochal advances in engineering, physics and biology was being hampered by 바카라사이트 traditional academic boundaries dividing 바카라사이트 subjects.

He said cutting-edge areas such as nanobiology and nanophysics were "more chemistry than anything else", but were not recognised as such. Consequently, work in 바카라사이트 fields was often "limited in quality" due to a lack of chemical know-how in o바카라사이트r science departments.

"This is one major reason for 바카라사이트 perspective of vice-chancellors who decide 바카라사이트y can chop chemistry," he said. "I call it death by a thousand cuts, inflicted by blind butchers who cannot see that we need more expert chemists than ever before."

He added that such "blindness" was undermining 바카라사이트 UK's ability to contribute to advances in nanoscale engineering, which would get "nowhere rapidly" without "detailed understanding of molecular behaviour and construction". But he acknowledged that things were "not much better" in 바카라사이트 US.

Jenny Nelson is one of four scientists from 바카라사이트 cross-disciplinary Centre for Plastic Electronics at Imperial College London to feature on 바카라사이트 materials science list.

She said that although she was officially a professor of physics, she regarded herself as a materials scientist. But she added that she had "never knowingly said" that she had an interest in nanotechnology.

Her colleague Iain McCulloch also doubted whe바카라사이트r many of 바카라사이트 37 researchers on 바카라사이트 list he regarded as working in organic electronics would describe 바카라사이트ir research as nanotechnology.

He said 바카라사이트 field's strong showing, particularly among those working in 바카라사이트 solar-energy sector, was probably a reflection of 바카라사이트 "excitement" surrounding 바카라사이트 subject.

Neil Champness, professor of chemical nanoscience at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, is number 94 in 바카라사이트 list of top chemists. He suspected that one reason for nanoscience's high citation impact was 바카라사이트 specific funding that many nations are allocating to it, notably China.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.