The Isla de la Cartuja Scientific Research Center (cicCartuja) has scheduled a Colloquium-Round Table entitled Maleficent Chemistry, where the role that chemical sciences play in developed societies will be discussed on the occasion of Science Week – the largest annual scientific dissemination event at European level.

The event will take place on 10 November at 7:00 p.m. in the Salón del Almirante of the Real Alcázar in Seville, and will be attended by researchers from the three joint CSIC-University of Seville centres affiliated with cicCartuja: Juan Cámpora (Institute of Chemical Research), Juan Pedro Holgado (Institute of Materials Science of Seville) and Irene García Fernández (Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis).

During this round table discussion, many of the stereotypes associated with chemistry will be questioned, given that in recent years a strong trend has developed in the media that tends to identify the term “chemistry” with the artificial and, therefore, with the opposite of the natural, ecological or organic.

This false dichotomy “artificial-natural” is what is giving chemistry an unjustified aura of “evil,” ignoring the fact that without its contribution in so many areas of our daily lives, humanity would not have achieved the hope and quality of life that we enjoy today.