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Ethanol - https://cosmosmagazine.com/chemistry/17-molecules-changed-world

Ethanol, as you know, is the intoxicant in alcohol. Worldwide, it is estimated that over 2 billion people consume ethanol through one form of alcohol or another. But, the greatness of ethanol does not stop at the buzz you get from a couple beers. For the last hundred or so years, ethanol has been used for a countless number of other purposes. Some uses of ethanol today include producing medicines, synthezing chemical products, and fueling our heaters, lamps, and vehicles. Even some of the first engines ran soley on ethanol. Today, ethanol cars are more popular than ever before, due to the various benefits ethanol has over other sources of fuel.
Overall, ethanol is very important in history for 2 reasons. First, although alcohol may be a controversial point for some, it's big business. Alcohol is one of the most heavily taxed products in America, but still no one bats an eye when they have to pay 15 bucks for 6 beers because of the effects of ethanol. Without ethanol, the entire worldwide business of producing and selling alcoholic beverages would not exist, therefore an enormous amount of capital would be missing from economies across the globe. Secondly, ethanols impact on the industrial/mechanical/medicinal side of things has been huge. As previously stated, some of the first engines ran on ethanol. The development of the first engine could be one of the most important things to ever happen in human history, and it has ethanol to thank. Imagine a world without engines today. We would have no cars, buses, trains, planes, boats, lawnmowers, snowblowers, etc.: the list could go on forever. The engine is so important to humans, but it may have never come into play if ethanol was never discovered. Again, ethanol also had its hand in the development of medicines and chemicals which have greatly benefitted us humans.
Overall, without ethanol we would not be what we are todaty.

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Iron - https://cosmosmagazine.com/chemistry/17-molecules-changed-world

Iron was first discovered over 3,500 years ago, but in the 19th century, its commercial use skyrocketed after a method of mass producing stee using iron was discovered. Today, iron accounts for 90 percent of all metal production. Iron is an extremely versatile metal, being found in many things, such as powerlines, oil refineries, cars, trains planes, ships fridges, dishwashers, and computers. As a chemical, it's also used in insecticides, water purification, sewage treatment, and thr production of ammonia. With uses like these, it is very hard to ignore iron as atleast one important molecule in history, if not in the top 15 most important molecules in history. Our lives today revolve around iron in more ways than we realize, and it has since people began smelting it over 3,500 years ago. Overall, iron should be included in the list of the most important molecules in history because without it, I have no doubt in my mind that we as humans would not have progressed half as much as we have in the last 3,500 years. We live in a metallic age today, and at the base of that pyramid is the steadfast and reliable molecule, iron.

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Polyethylene. --- https://cosmosmagazine.com/chemistry/17-molecules-changed-world

Polyethylene is one of the most popular plastics. It is found in everything from plastic shopping bags to chewing gum. Polethylene should be considered as one of the more important molecules in hsitory because today, over 60 million tons of it are produced. We use so much plastic today that it is hard to imagine life without it. Simple tasks like going to the grocery store or grabbing a bottle of water could not be completed without this essential plastic. But, it also has a downside. We humans produce an enormous amount of waste, and most of that trash finds its way into a landfill, or worse- randomly discared throughout nature. Polyethylene, although it contains great qualities, is awful for the environment, as it takes hundreds of years to degrade. It's hard to imagine that a plastic shopping bag or water bottle will live longer than you and me. Overall, polyethylene should be considered as an important molecule in history because of its benefits to society, but also the devastating question it begs to ask about our waste management and what we are doing to the environment.

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DDT. DDT is a chlorinated molecule which acts by interfeering with a nerve control process unique to insects. Because of this, DDT, at low levels, is not toxic to other animals. As malaria was an enormous epidemic throughout the world, people looked for a way to stop the disease. As the disease is carried by mosquitos, the only optimal way to stop the spread was to erradicate the mosquitos. In 1995, a massive campaign of DDT was employed to elminate malaria in devloped countries. Before the spraying, 1.8 billion people lived in malarial areas. By 1969, 40 percent of that population lived in malarial free areas. DDT is responsible for much of the economic success of Greece during the end of the 20th century, due to the fact that the country was primarily malaria free. By 1975, Europe was declared malaria free. It was not until later that the the negative effects of DDT. As the effects became more well known, and the task of a completely malaria free earth became unattainable, the use of DDT greatly declined.
Overall, there were 2 reasons the DDT molecule was included in this book. First, DDT is estimated to have saved 50 million human lives. The threat of death from Malaria has greatly subsided, due to the widespread use of DDT. Second, the use of DDT illustrates the dilemnas humans must face when creating man-made compounds. This idea is universal in our world like ours where artifical products are continually being made, even though there may be many undiscovered dangerous effects. We learn from DDT that humans must go through these learning processes to advance as a race. Life is nothing more than trial and error.
Overall, I agree with the authors about including DDT in the book because it shows the two sides of chemistry. On one hand, 50 million people's lives were saved, but on the other hand, unmeasurable amounts of damage were caused to our ecosystems. As humans, we must learn to make a choice in decisions like these.

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Chloroform. Chloroform, aside from ether, was the first successful, less harmful but still harmful, anesthetic molecules used for surgery. Before molecules like chloroform were discovered, surgeries were performed with patients who were fully awake. You can imagine the agony. Chloform was sought after in the 19th century because it had several qualities that made it better than the previously used ether. It worked faster, smelled better, less of it was needed, the recovery process was much better, and it did not explode when mixed with oxygen like ether. Still chloform was not very safe, as some patients died, but the mortality rate of surgery was already so high that this statistic was overlooked. Chloroform also became popular during childbirth, although it was a very contraversial topic. It was later understood that choloform had a very dark side. It is now known to cause liver and kidney damage, increased risk of cancer, eye and skin damage, and many other terrible side effects. Also, when exposed to high temperatures, chloroform forms very dangerous gases.
Chloroform was included in this book beacuse of its positive and negative effects on history, but also its lasting legacy in the world of surgery. Without chloroform, there would be now successing anesthetics. Without anesthetics, we wouldn't have the highly advanced surgical fields that we have today. Also, chloroform and other anesthetics like it drew more attention toward women and their struggles. When Queen Victoria delivered a child using chloroform, a message from women was sent to the world. The option for a woman to choose if they wanted an anesthetic during child birth was another step toward equality for women.
Yes, it has been used for the wrong reasons, and yes, it can be very dangerous, but the effects that it had on medicine are so vast that it is hard not to give it a place on the list of important molecules in history. Overall, I do agree with the authors about including chloroform in this book because it had an enormous effect on the advancement of surgeries and womens' rights.

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Sodium Hydroxide, also known as caustic soda is a molecule that has been in demand for quite a while. Sodium hydroxide is made through an industrial process called electrolysis, and it is essential in extracting aluminum metal and the manufactoring of rayon, cellophane, soaps, detergents, petroleum products, paper, and pulp. Also produced in the electolysis of sodium hydroxide is chlorine, which has been discovered to be an excellent bleaching agent and disinfectant. Chlorine is now also used in the organic products like pesticides, polymers, and pharmaceuticals. The authors included sodium hydroxide in the book because it, like the other molecules in the section, demonstrates how beneficial salts can be. But, sodium hydroxide is escpecially important because of its use in producing products that we so frequently use today. Examples: Without aluminum, we cannot continue to make advancements in the field of aerospace. Second, Soaps and detergents are extremely important to ward of disease and dirt. Next, although everything is becoming computerized, paper is essential to us in our everyday lives. Without paper, simple commerce would not be able to be completed. Finally, to be honest, without petroleum products we would be S.O.L. because literally everything we do revolves around petroleum products. The gasoline in our cars, planes, and ships; the motor oil we put in engines of all kinds; synthetic rubber, medicines, cleaning products; the list goes on and on. Even some of our food contains petroleum products. Clearly, sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda, was an extremely impactful discovery.
As you can see, I agree with the authors stance on sodium hyrdoxide, and I agree that it deserves a place in this book.

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Castile is a soap that is created from olive oil. Castile soap was a very high quality, white substance, and it was highly saught after in parts of Europe. Castile is made through the saponification process, as are all other soaps. The reason this molecule was included in the book is the effect that it had on the cleanliness of civilization. During the Dark Ages, it wasn't uncommon for a person to only bathe once every year. As you can imagine, the rate of infection and disease was probably astronomical. As people became more and more aware of the effects of being dirty, castile became more and more popular. While soaps from different fats and oils challenged castile, no other soap was responsible for maintaining a degree of hygiene amongst people. Without the highly desired castile soap, people may never have began to combat dirt and disease as they do today. Overall, I do agree with the authors reason to include castile in this book because I cannot imagine our world today without any of the soaps, detergents, or shampoos. Castile soap was one of the main factors in changing people's opinions on hygiene, and without it we may not be far off from bathing once a year, as they did in the Dark Ages.

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Caffeine, along with morphine and nicotine, is an addictive drug. The difference between the three is that two are frowned upon today, and one is sought after by people of all ages. Caffeine, in particular, was included in this book to show the effects it has had on people throughout history. Many cultures throughout history used caffeine, acquired through tea, coffee, or cocao for many reasons. Caffeine has negatively effected people throughout history in many ways. One example is in the coffee growing countries of South America during the last decades of the 19th century. As the demand for coffee increased, indeginous people were pushed off lands that were ideal for growing coffee. Men, women, and children worked endlessly as forced laborers while the elite plantation owners reaped the benefits of a worldwide addiction to caffiene. People, along with plants and animals, have had their ecosystems destroyed by people trying to plant coffee farms so that they could make money off of caffeine. Caffeine has inspired trade, created empires, established governments, and enslaved millions of people. Although the authors view caffeine in a rather pessimistic light, they are accurate in describing the destruction that it has caused throughout history. People often forget that caffeine is a drug, and I doubt many people know that it is more closely related to morphine than one would think. Terrible things have happened due to people's need for caffeine, and that is why I believe caffeine deserves a place in this book.

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The ergot alkaloids were molecules that were responsible for ergotism, or ergot poisoning. These molecules would commonly infect poorly stored grain, thus poisoning entire towns. The poison has extreme side effects, including nervous system spasms which appear to other people as a dance. The importance of the ergot alkaloids is that they are believed to be what caused many of the witch accusations throughout history. Normally the old poor woman of the town would be accused because she was seen to have no importance to the town, and most often she was uninfected because she could not afford the flour that was infected by ergot alkaloids. The authors believe that these women who were persecuted were also herbalists, which meant that of they survived, they would keep alive the knowledge of certain medicinal plants. Without the herbalists, we may have never discovered the wide range of pharmecueticals that we have today. The way I'm interpreting this section is that the old women being killed off as witches is a metaphor for the way we are continously destroying our rainforests; if the herbalist women die, they cannot pass on their knowledge, just like if we destory a rainforest, we cannot reap the possible benefits of that ecosystem. Although the comparison seems like a bit of a stretch,  the moral of the analogy is a very real problem that we are facing. When we destory a part of the world, how do we know there isn't somekind of lifesaving, miracle molecule residing there?  The truth is that we can't. We are no longer killing the herbalists, we are know killing the herbs. Without these ecosystems for us to explore, we cannot continue to make advancements in science, medicine, engineering, technology, or anything for that matter. Overall, although the analogy was a little farfetched, the point is very important. The ergot alkaloids themselves are not an important molecule in history, but the tale that these authors tell through these molecules is why the ergot alkaloids deserve a place in this book.

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Norethindrone, commonly known as "the pill" was the first oral contraceptive to be produced. There are two very different opinions about the use of contraceptives, but nevertheless, norethindrone had an immense impact on history, maybe even more so then the molecules previously mentioned. "The pill' opened new doors for women as a gender. It gave them the ability to be open and pursue new opportunities. The conventional standards of what a women should be like were dismantled. It allowed women to speak out and change subjects that had been going on for centuries like breast cancer, family violence, incest, and rape. Before norethindrone was discovered, it was common to believe that women were only good for having babies and rasing families. Now, women have the right to choose how they want to live, with no standards to abide by. Today, women are governing countries, performing heart surgeries, becoming astronauts, directing companies, and doing many other things that people used to believe only men were capable of doing. The discovery of Norethindrone led to a social revolution. It did not lead to some other sceintific advancement or chemical discovery. It led to a new world where women could work side by side with men, not behind them. For these reasons, I agree with the authors that Norethindrone should have its place in this book. ,

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Aspirin. Aspirin was a tweaked version of previous less-effective forms of medcine whose goal was to reduce pain, fever, and inflamation. The popularity of aspirin sky-rocketed, but the natural resources needed to produce it could not keep up with the demand. Due to World War I, a synthetic version was produced. Today, aspirin is the most widely used drug for treating illnesses and injuries. The authors included aspirin in the book because it started the race for synthetically developing medicines that could be used to help people. While aspirin itself may seem insignificant, its what came after aspirin that is important. The development of aspirin created a market for pharmecuetical drugs, and led to the discovery of other fields of medicine like antibiotics. Without the discovery of aspirin, it is very possible that all the life saving medical advancements that came after it may never have been discovered. Overall, I agree with the fact that aspirin is in this book, but I don't at the same time. Yes, it was the first step in the drug world, but it is only an anti- inflammatory and a minor scale pain reliever. The important molecules of this section come after aspirin, whcih leads me to believe that the authors should have just mentioned the discovery of aspirin and its effects, instead of writing 4 pages on its discovery.

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Mauveine. From ancient times to the 19th century, and even a bit today, purple was known as a color for only the elite. In some civilizations, purple was only to be worn by kings, queens, emperors, and those alike. The fantastical nature endured for many years until the 19th century when WIlliam Henry Perkins, an 18 year old on vacation accidently discovered one of the first synthetic dyes. Its color? Purple. Perkin called this synthetic dye mauveine, and as soon as he could he began producing and selling his product, knowing the demand for purple.
Perkins discovery is extremely important for several reasons, in the authors eyes. First, it opened the door for other chemists to experiment with synthetic dyes, subsequently squashing the market for natural dyes. By the end of the 19th century, chemists had discovered over 2,000 synthetic dye colors. With more available colors and a cheaper price, there was no longer any need for a naturally produced dye, so synthetics took their place on the stage. Second, Perkin and his discovery of mauveine showed the world that chemistry could be extremely profitable, and not just a field of study for the curious. With profits involved, many more people were attracted to the field of chemistry. This new interest in chemistry led to great discoveries in antibiotics, analgesics, and and other pharmecuetical compounds, and it created enormous markets for these products as well. Finally, the discovery of mauveine emphazsied the importance of structural organic chemistry; an area of science that deals with exactly how molecules are strcutured. In my opinion, mauveine is actually one of the more important molecules in this book, due to the effects that it had on the rest of the world, and the compelling story behind its discovery.

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Styrene butadiene rubber was a substance that was first isolated in Western Turkey in the 18th Century. It held properties that were very similar to those of natural rubber. Styrene and butadiene were the starting materials for creating the first artifical rubber. Germany possessed the knowledge on how to create rubber. America desperately needed rubber, as their main imports from China were now gone due to the Second World War. Germany, through faulty judgement, gave America enough information to figure out how to produce artificial rubber. The production of artifical rubber in America increased so much in such a short amount of time that it is recognized as the second greatest feat in engineering of the 20th century; second only to the production of the atomic bomb. The discovery and production of Styrene led to many other artifical rubbers like neoprene, butyl rubber, and Buna-N. The authors believe that styrene butadiene rubber is very important in history because it ignited the industry of producing artifical rubber. Rubber was once mainly acquired through the destruction of rainforests, but now with the ability to create rubber ourselves, the hope is that unique habitats like rainforests can survive. They also believe this molecule is important because our entire lives revolve around rubber, although we may not realize it. Without rubber, we would not have been able to make the advancements in mechanization, mechanized transportation, mechanization of industry, or mechanization of agriculture. All of these fields require rubber, which is why styrene Butadiene, the molecule that ignited the race for producing artifical rubbers, is so important in history.

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In 1860, a patient in a hospital was not someone you wanted to be. Hospitals were disgusting, especially if there was surgery involved. There was no disinfectant, so many patients died of infection rather than their actual illness. Joesph Lister was a physician during this time, and he was one of the first  to experiment with antispeptics. Granted, this was a time where some doctors didn't even acknowldge the existance of bacteria. He tested carbolic acid, and found that it worked well on his patients, as their infection rate was immensely decreased. The main constitutent in carbolic acid in phenol, the molecule from this chapter that I chose. Phenol, although somewhat dangerous, proved to be extremely effective while performing surgeries. There are are hundreds of thousands of phenols, but only one "phenol" . Examples of phenols include Picric acid, capsacin, and vannilin. Phenol is very important in history because it is invloved in our lives in so many ways. Phenols changed our lives in many ways including antispetic surgery, the development of plastics , and its potential health factors. First, phenol was the first permitted antiseptic in surgery, allowing operations to be performed without the risk of infection that was once so prevelant. Without phenol and later antiseptics, life saving operations like open-heart surgery, organ transplants, and microsurgical repairs would never be possible. Second, phenol had a very important role in the creation of a new industry. Where ivory was once used in items like billaird balls, Bakelite, a quickly hardening liquid that was extremely rigid and would take the place of its mold. The discovery of this phenol based product allowed the demand for ivory to decrease, and products like telephones, bowls, car parts, glasses, radios, etc. were now able to be made of phenols instead of their orignal compostions. Finally, phenol is found in THC, the active ingredient in marijuanna. Marijuanna has been permitted in some states and countries to treat nausea, pain, and loss of appetite in patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, and other illnesses. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a molecule found in green tea, has been credited with providing protection against various types of cancer.
Overall, the hundreds of thousands of different phenols have been beneficial to mankind in so many ways that the authors believed that phenol should have its place in this book. I agree with this point because without phenol, our hosptials would still be a mess, elephants would be extinct from overkill, medical advancements would be on halt, and there would be no hot sauce or vanilla ice cream.

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Nylon is an artificial form of of silk, meaning that it is man made, has properties very similar to those of silk, but is not chemically identical to silk. Silk was a material that was used for basically everything from parachutes to stockings. Silk is responsible for opening up the traderoutes between the East and the rest of the known world. These irresistable qualities of silk were what made the emergence of nylon so great. Although the first use of nylon was in toothbrush bristles, people soon began to realize all the great powers in the artifical material. Nylon was exceptionally strong, durable, and light, so naturally it made its way into other commercial and military products including women's stockings, fishing lines, strings for tennis rackets, coating for electrical wires, tire cords, weather balloons, ropes, etc..
The authors included nylon in the book because it holds a legacy that is very to that of silk; the world was never the same after it came about. Before nylon, people relied on plants and animals to create the building blocks for our clothes and other products, but now we have the power to create for ourselves. Nylon was most definitley an incredible invention, but the reason it is so important in history is because it opens a new world of opportunity for people around the world. The incorporation of nylon and other modern materials into our lives has given birth to new cities, industries, and jobs, and it has brought wealth and change to people everywhere.

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Teinitrotuluene, also known as TNT, was a molecule very similar to picric acid, but was better suited for munitions. Picric acid was once used in many weapons before TNT was discovered, but it contained many problems. For example, if it was wet or humid, it would not detonate. Or, because of its acidity, it would react with metals to form shock-sensitive "picrates" which caused shells to explode on impact without penetrating heavy armor. TNT had none of these problems; it was not acidic, was no affected by the damp, and it even had a low melting point, so it could be easily transferred into shells or bombs. Also, it could withstand more damage than picric acid, so it had no trouble ripping through heavy armor. Because of these admirable qualities, TNT was used heavily by Germany in the beginning of World War I, giving them an immense advantage. Britain and France soon raced to get munitions with TNT, so they could stand a chance against Germany. TNT is very important in history because it is one of the most well known advancements in warfare technology. Everyone knows what TNT is and what it's capable of. I agree with the authors that TNT deserves a place in this book as an important molecule in history because of its affect on World War I, its significance as an advancement in warfare technology, and its place as a predecessor to even more powerful nitro compound expxlxosives such as ammonia and PETM.

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Glycogen. Glyocgen is the storage polysaccharide in animals, and is used as the main source of energy. Glycogen is a molecule very similar to amylopectin, except for the fact that it is highly branched, meaning that many units of glycogen can be removed quickly in the event that a burst of energy is needed. The highly branched structure of glycogen allows an animal to escape or chase down prey, or preform other actions where an extreme amount of energy is required. Plants, on the other hand, do not need these short explosive bursts of energy, so they rely on the slow release of energy that is acquired through amylopectin. The reason glycogen is so important is because the fact that the molecule is highly branched is the basis for determining the fundamental differences between plants and animals. Overall, I agree with the authors opinion to include glycogen in the book because without it they would not have had the energy to even contemplate the idea of writing a book. Also, without glycogen, the difference between a human and a flower would not be like it is now.

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The molecule I chose for chapter 3 was saccharin. Saccharin is what is known as an artificial sweetner today, and was the first of its kind to be discovered. It has no calorific value which was very enticing to people of 1879 when it was discovered. The reason saccharin was included in this book is because it inherently started the billion dollar business of sweetners that we have today. After its discovery, people began to demand better and better sweetners, which led to products that we have today such as aspartame and sucralose. Overall, I do agree with the authors view that saccharin should be included in the book because without the discovery, an industry that is worth billions today may not have ever emerged.

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Absorbic Acid, also known as Vitamin C, is a molecule that is crucial to the health and well being of all animals on earth. While most animals produce Vitamin C in their liver, humans do not. This requires us to dietarily gain Vitamin C through fruits and vegtables, like oranges. A lack of Vitamin C can lead to a deadly disease called scurvy. This was very common on ships around the 16th century. The diet of those who worked on those ships was very poor, mostly consisting of extremely hard bread and salted meat. It was very common for astronomical percents of men on board to die from scurvy on long voyages. Gradually, people began to discover that fruits and vegetables could save them from scurvy, and captains began giving their men ingredients to prevent scurvy, like lemons, oranges, lemon juice, etc. Without scurvy killing half the men on board, voyages could now be made much longer. Clearly, the moment when people discovered the benefits of Vitamin C was very important in history because, as seen in chapter one, people were traveling all around the world for various purposes. Absorbic acid allowed the expeditionists to travel for much longer, which allowed them to reach their goals without sacrfificing up to 90% of their crew, as was the case in Magellan's circumnavigation.

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Piperine -- C17H19O3N The active ingredient in both black and white pepper. Piperine delivers the hot sensation we feel when we eat pepper, and it is due to the way our nerves respond to the chemical stimuli. Le Couteur and Burreson believe that Piperine was an important molecule in history because spices like pepper became extremely sought after; pepper was practically gold. This demand for pepper fueled the age of exploration, and started the hunt of a faster way to get to India. This exploration eventually led to the discovery of what is known today as North America. Compared to back then, the glamor of spices has greatly decreased, as they are much more readily available today. Nevertheless, I agree with the authors that molecules like Piperine were important in history because without them, the discovery of America could have been delayed for many years, meaning our country would not be nearly as advanced and powerful as it is today.