I’ve been awake for almost 24 hours now (that terrible, sweaty, fitful, semi-conscious state unique to a seat in economy class on a transatlantic flight doesn’t count as sleep), and 4000+ miles later, I’m in Atlanta, land of Coca-Cola and home of the Braves – when will they get back to the World Series I wonder? And just as it will be for me, so this city will be home for the more than 12,000 chemists attending the 2006 Spring American Chemical Society Meeting over the next 5 days.

I think one of the most common questions I’ve been asked in the last few days is this: why does the ACS meeting run Sunday through Thursday? Anyone have any suggestions, because I have no idea? More importantly perhaps, how about the location – any thoughts? Washington DC and Philadelphia (my last two ACS trips) offer plenty of sightseeing options, Anaheim has - love it or hate it - Disneyland, and it’s probably best not to get started with the distractions offered on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. If YOU were choosing, where would the next ACS meeting be – would you take a chance on Vegas, or say aloha to Honolulu?

So, it all begins tomorrow, and even though my body clock will undoubtedly be quite upset by my alarm clock, I’ll head over to the ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry in Honor of Bert Meijer symposium. Hope to see you there.

Stuart

Stuart Cantrill (Associate Editor, Nature Nanotechnology)