Greetings everyone,

I’ve finally managed to get the ball rolling on things for #RealTimeChem Week; better late than never right? Im afraid this year is going to be another slimmed down event due to a variety of circumstances, however, there will be bigger things ahead for the hashtag’s 10th anniversary in 2022 (yes it has been that long).

For those not already in the know, #RealTimeChem Week is a 7 day themed event to help raise awareness of the #RealTimeChem chemistry community on Twitter and encourage as many chemists as possible to tweet about their chemistry as they are doing it. During the week there are usually events to take part in, competitions and prizes are on offer, so it’s the perfect week to jump in and share some chemistry with your fellow chemists.

If you are completely new to the community and want to know more about #RealTimeChem in general, then follow this link to the regular “About…” page, where you can learn all about the project and the community.

So, why not take some time during #RealTimeChem Week to share some chemistry and connect to other chemists in the world and have some fun while you’re at it?

I’m sure you have questions, you’re scientists. Here’s some common questions and the related answers below, including details on this year’s theme, events and competitions:

When is it?

28th November- 4th December.

It runs all day, for all 7 days.

How do I take part again?

Just tweet about chemistry using the hashtag #RealTimeChem. Simple as that. You can also use this year’s theme hashtag #GlobalChem. That hashtag will also be monitored by me (& our sponsors at C&EN) during the event. Hell use both. Go wild. Just use one of these hashtags or you’ll be lonely.

So what’s the theme during this year’s event?

This community exists all around the world and this year we’ve decided to celebrate that using the hashtag #GlobalChem!

It’s time to go global! Chemistry is everywhere and the people who make it happen are too! Did you know that #RealTimeChem has been Tweeted about in over 100 countries around the world? This year #RealTimeChem Week is celebrating all that international flavour using the hashtag #GlobalChem.

Use the #GlobalChem roll call to let us know where you are from and what makes it so special to you? What’s the chemistry history of your country? Tell us all about your fantastic international colleagues and collaborators. Have you embarked on any worldwide adventures in your chemical journey? We’d love to hear all about it.

#RealTimeChem Week 2021 – Tweets of the week prizes  

Like in previous years there will be prizes for the best #RealTimeChem Week tweets. The format this year has been made super simple without any of the previous categories.

All you have to do is Tweet about your chemistry using the #GlobalChem hashtag (along with #RealTimeChem) to be considered. However, you’ll need to do something a little unique and eye catching to win, extra bonus points if you can use this years theme in a creative way!

As before, C&EN have again kindly provided prizes for the winners. Below are some details about the prizes*

^{*Please note some details may be subject to change.}

There will be 7 Tweets of the Week selected over the course of the event (they may not come from separate days). Tweets will be shortlisted by the folks at CEN and selections made in consultation with myself & #RealTimeChem’s ambassadors.

The prize for a Tweet of the Week will be:

• A $50 Amazon Gift Card Prize (or equivalent for non-US locations) courtesy of C&EN.

Tweets posted on all seven days of the event (28th November – 4th December) are eligible for the awards.

We will be keeping an eye on the hashtag and gathering up the best tweets with a summary of winners, published in C&EN in December.

Prizes winners will be announced by C&EN after the event.

Winners will be asked to provide name and address details via DM or email.

#RealTimeChem Week Adverts

Below you will find banners to help you share the word about #RealTimeChem Week 2021. Our usual graphic wonder dude Andy Brunning (www.compoundchem.com) Is taking a break this year spend time with his newborn second child, so this snazzy years graphics have been provided by Dorea Reeser (@drdorea) of C&EN (I’m sure Ultraviolet helped).

Feel free to share this banner far and wide and definitely internationally!

#GlobalChem Roll Call

Information coming soon…

Other events?

There are some plans in progress for other events for the week that may (or may not) happen. Like a lot of people we’ve experienced a lot of disruption due to the pandemic and so the original larger plans have had to be scaled back a bit. If other events do happen we’ll write them up here.

Want to run a competition or event?

There is always room for more chemistry-based fun. If you would like to run an event or competition during #RealTimeChem Week, then please get in touch with me via realtimechem@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to chat about the possibilities.

-Doctor Galactic-