(49b) Incorporating the Stories of Scientific Discovery into the Chemical Engineering Curriculum.

The early 20^th century brought incredible discoveries such as the production of ammonia, nuclear fission and the discovery of polymers. Although students often learn about these concepts, these don’t always hear about the societal impact or the stories of the people behind the discoveries. For example, Fritz Haber engineered a way to create ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen and then used his skills with high pressure gas to release chlorine in the battle of Ypres in 1915. His use of chemical warfare caused his wife to take her life. Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner discovered fission with others in 1938 and yet only Hahn had his name on the paper, and he alone won the Noble Prize due to societal pressures. Decades later, element 109 was named after her. Hahn was one of ten captured scientists in Farm Hall in England when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Recordings show that he was distraught that his discovery brought so much destruction. Polyethylene was discovered by accident in both 1898 and 1933 and has been used for beneficially for society since then. At the same time, there is now an increase in plastic pollution.

The purpose of this talk is to share how these stories can be used throughout the chemical engineering curriculum to help students think about the impact of society on science, the impact of science on society and the human stories behind each discovery. Helpful resources will shared, such as articles, websites, podcasts, docudramas and books.