Hoffmann, a professor of both chemistry and human letters at Cornell University, gave a public lecture titled "One Culture: The Commonalties and Differences between the Arts and the Sciences."
"What unites these two cultures is that they produce objects of human creation. Artifacts man and woman made," Hoffmann said.
He continued to draw similarities between the disciplines by emphasizing that both scientists and poets seek to find the truth.
"All are absorbed by a search for understanding," he said. "It’s really one culture — to understand the world."
In addition to an evening lecture, Hoffmann spoke to students and faculty during two afternoon sessions. During the first, "Molecular Beauty," he explained why scientists find beauty in molecules. A later discussion featured reading of some of his poetry and an explanation on his work as a scientist and a poet.
Hoffmann is a highly honored individual in a many of areas. He won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1981 for his work developing the Woodward-Hoffmann Rules of Orbital Symmetry; has received more than 25 honorary degrees; is the only chemist to receive awards from the American Chemical Society in three different areas — organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and chemical education; and has published both nonfiction
scientific works, three collections of poetry, books and a play titled "Oxygen," which will open in April. He also was the narrator of the PBS series "The World of Chemistry," well known to many high school chemistry students.Hoffmann said he has
chosen a career in teaching not to attract more chemists but to help combat "chemophobia," or the fear of chemistry."I think people are right to be apprehensive about
chemistry," he said. "Chemistry is about change, and humans are naturally ambivalent of change."The cure for chemophobia is education, said Hoffmann.
"Science creates new
mysteries, and education is important in overcoming those mysteries," he said.Another interesting twist to this already diverse man is that he is a Jewish survivor of Nazi Poland. Although not a main theme in his poetry, Hoffmann has touched on his childhood experiences in a war-stricken Europe through his work. His soft, western European accent, though soothing and capable of bringing a vibrant life to his poetry, is a reminder that his depth of human understanding began during perhaps the
lowest point in human morality.Hoffmann’s visit to Winona State was sponsored by the WSU department of chemistry, the Chemistry Club and the
La Crosse/Winona Section of the American Chemical Society. His lecture also was made possible in part with funding from the Minnesota Humanities Commission in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Minnesota Legislature and Target stores. |
| Roald Hoffmann |
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