It's a shame pay cuts don't start at the politician level.

Stop funding athletes and fund schools!

Don't make the chemistry professor angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry...

he said he was never good enough for organic chemistry, humble man

Research is the last thing we should cut funding from as a society.

"If you go to a hospital and have a heart attack"... then good thing you are in a hospital!

If there is one kind of scientist you shouldn't piss off, its the chemist

This professor reminds me of Dumbledore. He's funny and harmless most of the time, but if you get him angry, hooooo boy...

just become a evil scientist . Rule the world .

"We got money for wars but cant feed the poor" same goes for science.

I've never seen this guy so pissed....

Why the hell these guys don't have their own TV show is beyond me. I just spent the last week watching every single video on the channel and this is flat out some of the most fascinating shit I've watched in a long time. Also, huge props to The Professor for rocking the mad scientist fro like a champ.

You can feel his passion for his job. Go Professor!

I've found that generally if a country needs to make budget cuts, they can do so from the military. A few months ago the Australian government announced a 12.4 billion dollar spending on military jets. Not entirely sure what that's for seeing as we never get invaded and our strongest military 'resource' is our allegiance with the US (who could cut half a trillion dollars to help fund health, education, housing and food for the poor of the world and still have enough to pay the many people that work for the military). There was a time when I thought I was just too young to understand why numerous governments make seemingly evil or self-centered decisions. I figured there was a lot more to it than how things appeared on the surface- but over the last few years I've realized the leaders of many of these countries are just grown-up boys with big egos and masculinity issues. I can wish for a humanitarian utopia but don't see it happening any time soon- but I'm glad there are scientists, educators and the like that are fighting the good fight.

Not just in UK.. this is happening also in Spain and I'm sure most probably in many other "developed" countries. It's like now that there's a crisis we're going back in time instead of forward.. If don't fund the Reserch, the Public Eduaction sistem, the Universities... You've gonna end up with a massive problem in a few years time cause most people will not be able to understand and/ or work as scientists, drivers of complicated machinery, designers of different tecnological areas, Teachers, architects and so on... So you will have very advance and complicated tecnology with lots of possibilities but nobody to utilize it.. it will be an involution of humanity.. like going back to the dark times..

I agree with the professor, public funding of both theoretical and practical scientific research is essential for this country's economy, that lead to job creation is stable and rapidly growing industries. Public funding and peer review ensures the best allocation of money to projects that push boundaries irrespective of prospects of financial gain. We are no longer living in the world were people's mobility is limited, and currently we exploit the UK's prestige in research to attract the best minds from around, but cut's to funding could lead to brain drain. Those calling for taxation of corporation that exploit public research to be taxed more, are taxed and the government need better enforce that they pay the right level of tax, instead of it disappearing to a tax heaven. But most of the large research corporation in the UK, do actively encourage and fund research opportunities , Phds etc and have agreements with unis. Also some universities do get a healthy revenue stream from patents, but research is hard, expensive, very time consuming and the time from starting research to getting financial gains are long, 5 -10 years at least.

I second this. Increasing the availability of science grants serves to increase the quantity of available chemists, which in turn improves labor quality that will increase the short-run aggregate supply. Withholding funds due to a recession is only counterproductive, for a reduction in price level due to government spending will only be met with a leftward shift of the SRAS due to a reduced scientist output. We need education to continue making our lives comfortable.

Nice speech professor!! Please keep us updated!

Legitimate, unbiased interviews... You can't find them on the news, but they are here on periodicvideos!

I would ask, isnt the research done at uni's funded, at least in part, by the fees that students who attend the uni's. As such seeing as all the fees are going up, will that not offset at least to some degree the reduction in funding?

what is this professor's name? I know he was a few videos about different elements and I can't find them. Finaly some good, helpful videos on youtube. Thanks guys.

This thumbnail is my new favourite thing

@Hobypyrocom thank you, i thought inorganic was more complicated, i made some months in organic chemistry and biochemistry but only those students on pharmacy were the only that took inorganic (i was in medicine school) but it's good to know then

Very well spoken, Professor. I couldn't agree with you more.

I love this. Few people realize how heavily we rely on the scientific community. Support the sciences!

I can relate to this entirely. I graduated with a degree in Forensic Chemistry and cannot find work in the industry for love nor money. My county once had a booming Chemistry sector, but now it's in tatters. I have no financial means to move either. Chemistry firms want the finished article because they cannot/don't want to spend money on training fresh graduates, and it all comes full-circle. Sometimes I feel I'm trying to break into the industry 20 years too late. Not good for us graduates.

Science, the Arts, and Education should never take the hit. We need the sciences to advance us forward in technology and knowledge. We need the arts of music, writing, acting, singing, and more to give us a strong rich culture. We need education so that we can learn of our sciences and our arts and culture so we can hopefully grow to be a more intelligent, curious, logical, passionate, rational, progressive society and culture.

oh. i thought this was going to be a new app for my phone.

This man is a fucking badass, Period.

tax income of banking CEOs

@sevenheadedweasel - Thank you so much for explaining that so well. Business = short term technological investments. Government = long term technological investments.

I think people like him are rare and very valuable, thanks

A VHS tape of Erin Brockovich is highly useful to any scientist, I'm glad to see the Professor has a copy.

Anyone else reminded of the bit in LOTR where the Ents move against Saruman? I think this is like that.

In tough times tough decision have to be made. I am a student of organic chemistry myself but I understand that maybe at certain times funding for fundamental science at times bloats beyond a level that is sustainable. Sometimes cuts need to be made. It is not what any of us would like to see but it is sometimes unavoidable.

@vuotopiuscuro I think you will find that universities have very strict procedures when it come to disposal of waste chemicals, and definitely do not contaminate drinking water. And all that plastic in the Pacific ocean is from industrial and domestic waste from various countries, not chemical research.

Theres some really good points in this video, i always see lots of comments on news stories, saying we dont need to spend on the sciences we have other problems. I dont think they realized how huge a part of their life it is. I think we all take what we have for granted and how we got here.

HARD TIMES COMING MY WAY

It seems to be to me. Maybe you left ad-block on?

I find, or rather have found, myself thinking along the same lines. But to what End should science innovate? Survival and increased life-spans, perhaps? Is the idea in innovation, to make doing stuff more efficient and effortless, and is the stuff to be done simply further science and innovation? Or could it be that art (be it music, theatre or the visual and culinary arts) be the End for which innovations for survival and overcoming other obstacles - trivial or challenging - are the Means?

If I ever sign up for your University, you Prof. are the only one to thank =)

I agree. I would have to guess as I dont have any data to back up my statement but I reckon that at bottom line it's a bit of a profit.

Where can i donate?

This isn't discussing cutting funding for undergraduate "majors", as they call them in the US. This is about cutting funding for postgraduate research, such as PHD's and the work of the researching staff of the university.

If I remember correctly there was a part in a video where it was mentioned that one can win a milllion dollar/euro to invent something that doesn't use atoms/particle or anything, it is something similar, there is no existing of anything without chemistry. The understand of almost every thing (that is molecule/atoms)...

I'd really like to read that letter: it could be an inspiration for Itallian chemists too (:

Passionately argued, Professor! A lot of us were already with you too.

Some (but not all) of that cost is the result of insurance premiums that the doctor must pay to protect themselves from lawsuits. Tort reform would help to reduce the amount of frivolous lawsuits that raise insurances costs.

@VatZeEll It's not just the equipment that's expensive... It's the reagents as well. You should go and look at the amounts and cost for chemicals in Sigma. And there aren't many private grants out there who would solely fund chemical research. Sometimes, it takes YEARS to get something commercialized so universities really on government funding. What I don't understand is why EPSRC is targeting just organic chemistry? Why not biology or physics?

Peer review has a ton of problems, so his argument for dividing funding is not entirely legitimate.

@deterdettol thanks, i am not a chemist neither a student, but when i was in college i took organic chemistry, so is inorganic chemistry more complicated than organic???

@febux I'm not sure. I'm not a chemist too lol. I do media studies. Something tells me I should have gone into sciences instead. Organic chemistry is the study of chemicals we attribute to life, like carbon and hydrogen. Inorganic chemistry is chemistry that explores other areas of chemistry not related to this. In another periodicvideo, it was explained that organic chemistry is such an interesting area, that chemistry is actually separated into organic and inorganic.

I LOVE this professor :)

The problem with basing your income off research royalty's is that you only start researching those things which are immediately profitable. The other places that may have the next big breakthru even though we can't see it has any potential yet, get left alone and never explored.

Are you a professor of inorganic chemistry ?

The Professor reminds me a lot of Matt Stone in his younger days. I found this to be very interesting myself, as a person who has studied Organic Chemistry for many years, without these chemists, most of the necessities and luxuries we take for granted will soon not be here. It seems though, we as the human race have got to always learn the hard way.

@bamboo4tameshigiri I think would is a more vital question then could.

It's about short term vs. long term investment. Cutting education and research will hurt more in the long term. But his other point is that you should put the bar higher if there is less funding, and select on excellence, not other criteria who gets funding.

I normally frown upon this sort of complaing on spending cuts, but in this case I'm entirely supportive. This is not a field to neglect, it is vitally important.

I could listen to Professor Poliakoff all day. What a splendid man he is.

Have you read Medawar's "Advice to a Young Scientist" or "Street" - Also, are you familiar with the Cold War and "Military Industrial Complex Theory"

I worked in a Physiology lab testing out synthetic organic compounds in cells and it`s a shame that they chose that area to take the biggest hit.

how about peer reviewed budget cuts?

@javmango That's what I mean, since the government are paying a lot of the fees for students, isn't that another way of the government funding universities?

@DivergentMind The private funding can only go so far, especially when we're talking about getting people to actually go into the sciences in the first place. With the UK increasing the base rate for education, more people will be less likely to go through graduate study, and private scholarships can only do so much.

@Morkvonork @noobenstein One reason not to have private funding for science is possible bias, or appearance of bias, in results. Since organic synthetic chemistry is used for making medicines, that's a big consideration.

@onimotoko how is that irrational?

I jut graduated in chemistry. The last thing we need are cuts, its hard enough to get a job or position as it is!

Tort reform was Santorum preach, but not when his family is on the line. When any curtailing of any lawsuits is suggested it should be also suggested that those doctors and or facilities are the subject of many lawsuits be barred from practicing. Too much myth surrounding frivolous lawsuits. A big media deal is made about initial large settlement, but when a jury award is reduced significantly, it never gets the same attention.

It is taken into account in the rankings, that's why they are so low. While the people who do have insurance get amazing service, those that don't are pretty much on their own. So, while the service itself is good, so many people can't afford it that it does not matter, and public health suffers.

Industry also does their own research. Microchip companies such as IBM have extremely large funds for research, as do many drug companies out there, because, as you said, they benefit from the research. Though, I do agree that industry should be funding things.

What makes security false. You seem to be using batch phrases.

@febux organic chemistry is the chemistry about carbon-hydrates and inorganic chemistry is the chemistry that comes from all other elements. this logically should tell you that organic chemistry is way more complicated than inorganic chemistry since there is one whole branch in chemistry dedicated only to one element so it must be more complicated.

Hey, Prof, you forgot about luminol!

while peers can review in secret, they know who they are reviewing (often times reviewing other scientists within the same field- who may be their friends or competitors)...

@Nashy119 since most people take out student loans it won't generate any money of some time, it just adds up more debt. At least for the next 5-10 years anyway

People often only see the surfaces of a certain thing (hospitals, police etc.) and don't understand there's a huge supporting system behind the scene.

Funding cuts in UK? Seriously? But I'm starting a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry in October! I'm moving from Italy to England for the same reason! This just sucks.

@ChemWorks93 Did you not see the (sarcasm) at the end of that comment?

@lemonarizonatea You won't regret it. I went back to school to study a STEM field. While I find it challenging to be less practiced and older than my classmates, I find this to be the best decision I've ever made.

@DivergentMind It wouldn't be independence. It would be just as much dependence, we just change who it is we would be dependent on.

Corporations are the first to profit from what public university research produces & the educated persons that go to work for the corporations to engages in private research. Perhaps a surtax on the corporations in a manner they can't pass on to the consumer?

Yeah. But would not want to waive for neither of them :)

you have no idea of how much they took away from reserch in my country

I wish I could be a chemist.... Maybe one day I will. :)

in Australia the labor government wants to cut millions from tafes and unis to pay for changes to the public education system (giving it to schools instead)

He has a copy of Erin Brockovich VHS on the shelf. Good taste professor

Without a proper analysis it is hard to know what is an appropriate level of funding for any science but to reduce funding for Phd students seems to be completely counter productive. People doing Phd's are the few who will actually go on to work in chemistry and make advances whereas many doing a first degree will drift away into other things. As for cutting synthetic organic chemistry, I would be prepared to guess it is a decision based on administrate convenience rather than science.

Wise words from the professor, certainly a very smart man!

@periodicvideos would like 2 order a video about industrial chemistry and ethics about Ur res.ponsabilities as chemists in the world .. there we have all aristotelian stuffs and organizations and researches .. what about Ur lasting effects i was provocated here by an other user .. there4 this demand

that is a very reserved statement considering...

University research funding should be extracted from taxes on royalties received by patent owners. The patent monopoly privilege granted by the state should have a higher price.

@LordMigit That tends to pay for salaries and the student's education (this actually costs MORE than the £9000 that most students will end up paying next year for most subjects, especially science and medicine; for example the cost to train a medic at my university is on average over £26,000 per year, although that is clearly the most expensive degree for a university to teach for obvious reasons). All our Money for PhD students and research comes from charities and the research councils.

professor, you got parkinsons desease ? i notice it in various video`s. keep up the good work . love this channel

Why are these videos not monetized? I'd let 2 min ads play if that meant more money would go to these videos and whatnot! I don't think many people would mind, we're not being charged anything = /

@IAINoodle "Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into." -Mohandas Gandhi

I'm not arguing you, I'm just citing the historical background of how the system came to be the way it is. You raise valid questions that must be judged very carefully :) Good points

It is very sad to hear that funding has been cut for your wonderful universities in the UK. Yet still, you will have vastly superior resources than most of us will ever be able to access or benefit from.

I can't even begin to say how useful this series of videos is.... O.M.G. Can we make this man the new President of the United States??? Put him in charge NOW... I know he is not from the US... but we need him here too!!! So very badly!

I bet they're also furious having recently watched Erin Brockovich on VHS.