Spectroscopy's Silver Anniversary
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.
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. I found myself thinking about this fact a great deal as I read through the great retrospective articles in this issue by Spectroscopy veteran Howard Mark ("Milestones in Spectroscopy") and long-time Spectroscopy editor Mike MacRae ("Spectroscopy Uncensored: An Insider's Story of the First 15 years").
David Walsh
With all of the great minds and unbelievably dedicated people who have come and gone and made such long-lasting contributions to these publications, the chances that I would be here for such a monumental milestone in the history of not only LCGC, but now Spectroscopy, is certainly a humbling honor. Sir Isaac Newton knew of which he spoke when he talked about "Standing on the shoulders of giants."
So now we find ourselves in this, the 25th anniversary issue of Spectroscopy, and perhaps even more than most issues, this is truly an issue for you, the reader. It is no secret that Spectroscopy has some of the most loyal and dedicated readers in the industry, and I'm betting that more than a few of you will enjoy the wistful nostalgia evoked by Mike MacRae's trip down memory lane ("Spectroscopy Uncensored: An Insider's Story of the First 15 Years"). For as is the case with most good pieces of writing, in the process of telling us one thing (in this case, the history of Spectroscopy), he ends up telling us something about ourselves in the process. A story about Spectroscopy's first editor-in-chief or the staff in the early 1990s not only reminds us of the beginnings of a great publication, it also reminds us of where we were and what we were doing at a certain place in time. It reminds us of people we knew and places we visited.
Personally, I got an immense kick out of seeing some of the people I've come to know in recent years as much younger men and women in Mike's photo collection, and I think many of you will, too. In short, this is an issue for remembering and celebrating the first 25 years of a very special publication, and I hope you will enjoy reading the issue as much as we at Spectroscopy enjoyed putting it together and writing it for you.
David Walsh
Editor-in-Chief
Researchers Develop Adaptive Gap-Tunable SERS Device
April 24th 2024In a new study, researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology and Pohang University of Science and Technology presented a new surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) device, improving gap plasmon resonance.
Getting accurate IR spectra on monolayer of molecules
April 18th 2024Creating uniform and repeatable monolayers is incredibly important for both scientific pursuits as well as the manufacturing of products in semiconductor, biotechnology, and. other industries. However, measuring monolayers and functionalized surfaces directly is. difficult, and many rely on a variety of characterization techniques that when used together can provide some degree of confidence. By combining non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) and IR spectroscopy, IR PiFM provides sensitive and accurate analysis of sub-monolayer of molecules without the concern of tip-sample cross contamination. Dr. Sung Park, Molecular Vista, joined Spectroscopy to provide insights on how IR PiFM can acquire IR signature of monolayer films due to its unique implementation.
The World of Microplastics Up to Date – an Overview
April 23rd 2024Watch this 20-minute educational video by Andreas Kerstan, Agilent Product Specialist in molecular spectroscopy, to gain a comprehensive update on the microplastics landscape and the environmental concerns related to them. Discover the current challenges in microplastics characterization and how Agilent innovative solutions and techniques, including FTIR, LDIR, GC/MS, and ICP-MS, are addressing these issues head-on.
