Columns | Column: From the Editor

We are pleased to present here part II of our celebration of Spectroscopy’s 35th year of publishing. For this special coverage, we asked leading spectroscopists to share their perspectives on a range of spectroscopic techniques and applications.

Milestone events naturally prompt reflection. For Spectroscopy's celebration of 30 years of publication, however, rather than waxing nostalgic about the past, we decided to focus on the present and consider the future.

A lively exchange of perspectives emerged recently on the LinkedIn group for Spectroscopy, as well as on the group for our sister magazine, LCGC. The conversation, sparked by a New York Times article, was about what it takes to become a scientist and why so many students, particularly in the United States, become discouraged along the way.

The growing and evolving use of homemade explosives, as well as biological and chemical threats, in terrorism and modern warfare, has driven the development of new and improved methods for detecting and identifying these materials. University and military researchers, as well as commercial instrument companies, are working hard to develop systems that are portable and rugged enough for field use, particularly for standoff detection.

According to the results of our 2011 salary survey, spectroscopists are a pretty happy lot. Nearly 85% of respondents said they are content with their current jobs (41% are "satisfied," 33% are "very satisfied," and another 11% are "extremely satisfied.") Almost as many, 77%, are happy with their current employer (42% satisfied, 22% very satisfied, and 13% extremely satisfied). This is true in spite of increasing stress, reported by 53%, and heavier workloads, reported by 65%.

As consumers, we often wonder if it's worth it to spend more for products that purport to be of higher quality. New research published in this issue indicates that in the case of pet food, the answer seems to be no.

In an old fable, a man stands outside a bakery for a while savoring the smells of bread and pastries emerging from the shop. Eventually, the baker comes out, angry that the man has been enjoying the aromas of his products for free, and demands payment.

New Editorial Director, Laura Bush, introduces herself to the Spectroscopy community.

It's one thing to believe you are good at something, and another altogether to have that belief reinforced by an objective third party.

With May's ASMS Conference now receding in the collective rearview mirror of the industry, the summer is as good a time as any to take stock of the analytical chemistry marketplace. This year's show, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, demonstrated once again the vitality and robustness of the field of mass spectrometry, as innovation and technological advancement were in evidence everywhere you looked.

They certainly were correct when they said, "Timing is everything" (whoever "they" are). As fate would have it, this is actually the second 25th anniversary issue that I have introduced, as I was lucky enough to be in my current position when LCGC North America celebrated its 25th anniversary way back in 2007.

When long-time Spectroscopy columnist and industry expert Bob McDowall wrote in the November 2009 issue of Spectroscopy, "The new FDA Commissioner wants a strong FDA and is backing her words with action," he had no idea how right he was ("The Tiger Has Sharp New Teeth," Spectroscopy 24[11], 23–29, 2009). Here we are just five months later, and the internet, cable news networks, and radio talk shows are all abuzz with the latest initiative put in place by the U.S. FDA and its commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, to limit the amount of sodium Americans consume.