Abstract

For more than a hundred years, molecular models representing atoms as spheres and connecting them with bonds have given insights into molecular structure and molecular reactivity. Why do these simple models work so well? Are they still useful? The possibilities, the power, the limitations, and the dangers of molecular models are all important today. Jonathan Goodman is a Reader in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, Deputy Director of the Unilever Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, and a Fellow of Clare College, where he is Director of Studies in Chemistry. His research links experimental and computational studies of molecular structure and reactivity, with applications in diverse areas such as interpreting analytical data, designing pharmaceuticals and making better soup.