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-

Greetings everyone,

Well…2020’s been a bit of a mare hasn’t it? I’d joke about it in my usual off the cuff way, but to be honest… it’s not funny. These have been difficult times for many of you. Best wishes to you all.

What I can do is try to lighten the mood a little with the announcement that #RealTimeChem Week is baaaack!

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 will hopefully be various events to take part in, competitions and prizes are on offer, so it’s the perfect week to jump in and share some socially distanced 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 think right now we could use some fun. 

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?

30th November- 6th 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 #ChemAtHome. That hashtag will also be monitored by me and co-curator Laura during the event. Hell use both. Go wild. Just use one of these hashtags or you’ll be lonely.

Please note that there are there are other hashtags you should use to enter the related competitions, more details on these are below.

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

Being that many people in the word have spent more time than usual at home this year due to it’s perhaps not surprising that the theme is  #ChemAtHome!

Chemistry doesn’t just happen in the laboratory or the office, it happens at home too (particularly in 2020).

It’s all here folks: pets on your keyboard! kids in your zoom calls! Chemistry in the kitchen! Chemistry on the kitchen floor! Facemasks! Social distancing! Online conferences! Experiments in your shed!

So time to take off your lab coat, put on your most comfortable clothes and then do some #RealTimeChem! *

^{_{* Okay Lab work is perfectly fine too, but make sure you’re COVID secure.}}

#RealTimeChem Week Awards 2020 

Just like all previous years, the main event of #RealTimeChem Week is the Awards. These are given to our favourite tweets during #RealTimeChem Week. The format this year is pretty much the same as previous years with some funky new categories based on this year’s theme.  

As before, C&EN have again kindly sponsored all the award categories with a prize. Below are some details about the awards*

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

The winners for each category will have their tweets featured in a news story by C&EN, to be published online in December. In addition to this, the 7 winners will receive:

• 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 (30th November – 6th December) are eligible for the awards. They must, however, fall into one of the following “best of” categories (summarized here excellently by Andy):

• #ReadingChem (lectures, writing theses, homeschooling, reading literature)
• #ChemHomeOffice (show off your home setup and how you are #RealTimeChem-ing from home)
• #ChemCoWorkers (show off your chemistry collaborators and they don’t need to be humans!)
• #EverydayFluorescence (just like #FluorescenceFriday, but better. Obviously.)
• #KitchenChem (Chemistry and cooking are the same thing, a chance to show off your total synthesis of a baked product!)
• #ChemAt2m (show us how you are carrying out #RealTimeChem at an appropriate social distance)
• #BackyardChem (can’t go to the lab, not enough space in the house, why not try the great outdoors. Safely show off some #RealTimeChem in your backyard)

Therefore, to potentially win a prize in the awards all you have to do is tweet something within these categories using #RealTimeChem (or #ChemAtHome) using the appropriate hashtag during the week.

There will also be a Reader’s choice award this year! This will have a prize of a $100 Amazon Gift Card Prize (or equivalent for non-US locations) courtesy of C&EN. More details on how this award will be run coming soon.

We will be keeping an eye on the hashtag and gathering up the best tweets with a summary of winners, published in C&EN. As mentioned there will be one winner per category and two honorable mentions as runners up (sadly no additional prizes are available for runners up).

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 2020. Designed again by the awesome Andy Brunning of @compoundinterest as usual! (www.compoundchem.com) Feel free to print out and put them around your house even.

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-

Hello again everybody,

It’s almost that time again, time for #RealTimeChem Week! Apologies for the late notice this year, I’ve had a bit of a rollercoaster, which has slowed up my usually efficient creation of this FAQ for the week. Anyway…

For those not in the know, #RealTimeChem Week is a 7 day 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 various events, 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 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 the various competitions you can enter:

When is it?

12th November- 18th November.

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 #Chem4Life. That will also be monitored by me during the event. Hell use both. Go wild. Just use one of these hashtags or you’ll be lonely.

Please note that there are a lot of different events this year and there are other hashtags you should use to enter the related competitions, more details on these are below.

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

The theme this year has, like in previous years, it’s own hashtag #Chem4Life – as chosen via poll by the community itself and suggested by @g_laudadio. My interpretation is as follows:

Chemistry isn’t just the scientific subject that we love. It is an ever present part of our daily lives. You find chemistry everywhere. It’s in the foods we eat and the air we breathe. It can clean your sink and make your car rust. It can make you fall in love and make you cry. It is there is every child’s toy and Chemistry is there in every object you see or touch, whether you realise it or not.  

This year’s theme, #Chem4Life, celebrates the chemistry you encounter during your day.

#RealTimeChem Week Advert

Below you will find banners to help you share the word about #RealTimeChem Week 2018. Designed again by the awesome Andy Brunning of @compoundinterest as usual! (www.compoundchem.com)

 

 

#RealTimeChem Awards 2018 

Just like all previous years, the main event of #RealTimeChem Week is the Awards. These are given to our favourite tweets during #RealTimeChem Week. The format this year is pretty much the same as last year with a few changes to categories for added variety and a new means of announcing the results. 

This year, C&EN have kindly sponsored all the award categories with a top prize.

The winner and 2 runners up for each category will have their tweets featured as a news story by C&EN, to be published online on 23rd November. In addition to this, the 8 winners i.e. those at the top of each category will receive:

• A $50 Amazon Gift Card Prize (or equivalent for non-US locations) courtesy of C&EN.
• A print copy of a C&EN issue with a spread featuring your tweet.
• An exclusive #RealTimeChem Week 2018 mug (see below) provided by me. 

Tweets posted on all seven days of the event (12th-18th November) are eligible for the awards. They must, however, fall into one of the following “best of” categories:

• #ChemSelfie (Share a cheeky selfie of you in chemistry action)
• #ChemVideo (Super exciting chemistry videos!)
• #ChemEd (for all those teachers and educators)
• #CompChem (experimentalists don’t have all the fun!)
• #BioChem (for all of you who get a side of biology with your chemistry)
• #ReactionPic (pictures of reactions on the go, whether in gloveboxes or fumehoods in glassware, flow or labs-on-chips!)
• #CrystalPic (fabulous and colourful crystal pictures)
• #AnalyticalChem (for analytical chemists and their instruments)

Most of these categories are intentionally broad and they hopefully cover the majority of areas that #RealTimeChem encompasses.

Therefore, to potentially win a prize in the awards all you have to do is tweet something within these categories using #RealTimeChem during the week. I’ll be keeping an eye on the hashtag and gathering up the best tweets with a summary of winners, published in C&EN. As mentioned there will be one winner per category and two honorable mentions as runners up (sadly no additional prizes are available for runners up).

Prizes winners will be announced by C&EN on  Friday 23rd November.

Winners will be asked to provide name and address details via DM or email. Please note that mug prizes will be sent out during December/early January.

 

The Great #RealTimeChem Cook Off (17^th– 18^th November) 

Now in its fourth glorious year, The Great #RealTimeChem Cook Off is back! It doesn’t get any more everyday than the chemistry of cooking.

Once again, this year’s contest is sponsored by the @ChemPubSoc_Euro journals.*

Five winners will receive a ChemPubSoc Europe package containing

• A copy of What’s Cooking in Chemistry: How Leading Chemists Succeed in the Kitchen
• An exclusive #chemquackers scientist rubber duck (which you can use for all your #RealTimeChem posts, @Chemjobber impersonations and personal travels!)
• Other Wiley-VCH goodies!

The competition only takes place on the weekend of #RealTimeChem Week. Feel free to cook something during the week, but the tweet must be shared on the weekend of November 17th-18th to count.

All you have to do to enter the competition is to tweet your culinary creation (anything cooking, baking or food related) and include #RealTimeChem #whatscooking & @ChemPubSoc_Euro at the end of your tweet. Your tweet should include a picture or video of your creation and ideally have a short description (the description can even talk about the chemistry in your cooking! It’s up to you). Alternatively, you can write/link a recipe for others to try.

Everyone who tweets a cooking-related post using these hashtags will be entered into the competition, and 5 favourites will win a prize.

Good luck and have fun cooking (also eating)!

Disclaimer: I will not be held personally responsible for #RealTimeChem related cake overdoses or weight gain as a result of this cook off.

—
*@ChemEurJ, @ChemistrySelect, @ChemistryOpen, @ChemBioChem, @ChemCatChem, @ChemMedChem, @ChemElectroChem, @ChemPhysChem, @ChemPlusChem, @ChemSusChem,@ChemPhotoChem, @EurJIC, and Eur. J. Org. Chem (all journals of @ChemPubSoc_Euro); @ChemAsianJ, @AsianJOrgChem, and @ChemNanoMat (all journals of the Asian Chemical Editorial Society); and @angew_chem (a journal of @GDCh_aktuell).

#Chem4Life outreach competition – sponsored by Hindawi

• Competition suggested by and run in conjunction with @Bythewayalex

Whether it is discussing your research with family or writing a scientific paper, chemistry requires communication skills. However, the way in which we communicate to different audiences can vary enormously. Until now, the #RealTimeChem community facilitates communication between chemists, but this year we want to broaden our horizons.

We would like to bring chemists into the limelight by showcasing our day-to-day activities to a public audience. We would like you to either write a tweet or tweet a short video to describe the current chemistry that you are doing (hint – it does not have to be front-line research!). You should aim to use non-technical terms where possible and keep the message simple. Remember, we are trying to broaden our horizons and not exclude people.

Once you have your tweet ready to send, make sure to include #Chem4Life and one of the below hashtags, depending on the day of the week. It is important to include non-chemistry hashtags to ensure that we reach a larger audience. The best tweets which get the most public engagement will have the chance of winning a prize provided by this competition’s sponsor open access publisher Hindawi.

The additional hashtags to use:

#MondayMotivation

#TuesdayThoughts

#WednesdayWisdom

#ThursdayThoughts

#FridayFeeling

#SaturdayMotivation

#SundayMorning

There is a prize on offer for the winner (no runners up in this instance), which is a Samsung Tablet kindly provided by Hindawi. A Samsung Galaxy Tab A (10.5”, 32GB, with Wi-Fi). More details on the prize itself here.

The winner will be decided by myself, @bythewayalex and the folks at Hindawi. Winner will be announced on Friday 23rd November on this blog.

 

The #RealTimeChem Week Blog Carnival – #Chem4Life (12th-18th November)

While the primary action for #RealTimeChem Week takes place on Twitter, there is also a blog carnival that runs alongside it. Chemistry bloggers are part of a thriving community and there are some excellent writers out there just waiting for readers.

Previously #RealTimeChem Week 2016 was focused on “New elements in chemistry” (#NewElemChem) which focused on a range of topics about new experiences in the blogger’s chemical lives (round ups here and here at SciTechConnect).

Last year, the blog carnival focused on #ChemTogether, where members of the community told stories about working together and collaborations during their lives as chemists. The round up can be found here.  

This year, it’s all about #Chem4Life:

Write a blog post about the chemistry found in everyday life. This can be about the most simple task, like brushing your teeth, all the way up to complex life functions like the chemistry of how we breathe. This is your chance to show your readers that chemistry is always with us, all day long. It’s #Chem4Life.

So, if you are a blogger, write a post and share it during the Week on Twitter using the hashtag #Chem4Life. The carnival this year is again being hosted here on Doctor Galactic & The Labcoat Cowboy. I will be looking out for this hashtag and will collect your blog post into round ups (twice during the week depending on numbers) so they are all in one place for easy access.

There is already one entry in the blog carnival that will be hosted here on the blog from Gabriele Laudadio explaining the nature of #Chem4Life that will be released on Monday 12th to kick the whole thing off.

Please note, if you don’t use the hashtag, then your post won’t be included in the carnival, so please make sure you remember to add it. I’ll also be retweeting these via @RealTimeChem to draw attention to them during the week. Happy writing!

 

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 or to sponsor one of the above events, then please get in touch with me via realtimechem@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to chat about the possibilities.

 

-Doctor Galactic-

 

Hello again everybody,

It’s almost that time again, time for #RealTimeChem Week! For those not in the know, #RealTimeChem Week is a 7 day event to help raise awareness of the #RealTimeChem chemistry community on Twitter and encourage as many chemists as possible to tweet about their chemistry. During the week various events, competitions and prizes are on offer, just to make it all the more fun and exciting.

If you are completely new 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.

If you don’t use #RealTimeChem all that regularly, this is the week to give it a go. Why not take some time during #RealTimeChem to share some chemistry and connect to other chemists in the world and have some fun while you’re at it?

When is it?

6th November- 12th November.

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. Well you can also use this year’s theme hashtag #ChemTogether. That will also be monitored by me during the event. Hell use both. Go wild. Just use one of these hashtags.

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

The theme this year has, like in previous years, it’s own hashtag #ChemTogether – as chosen via poll by the community itself.

To me, this is what it is about. Other may have their own interpretation:

Recent 21st Century history has made it feel like the world is tearing itself apart. Old wounds are being reopened. New ones are being cut. And those cuts, old and new, run deep. At times like this it can be difficult not to dwell on the negatives with so much hate, anger and fear in the world. 

Yet there is always positives and hope. It reminds me of a short passage one of my favourite reads: 

“‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo.

‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’

–Gandalf, J. R. R. Tolkein, The Shadow of the past, The Fellowship of the Ring. 

What we have chosen to do with the time given to us, is study Chemistry. The central science.  Molecules and their reactions. We are united in a common purpose to push the bounds of human knowledge and we’re going to have some fun while doing it. None of us can do this alone, we have our chemistry friends and colleagues, our fellowship, if you will.

This #RealTimeChem Week is about bringing that fellowship closer together. To do chemistry together.

To #ChemTogether.  

#RealTimeChem Week Adverts

Below you will find some banners to help you share the word about #RealTimeChem Week 2017. Designed again by the awesome Andy Brunning of @compoundinterest (www.compoundchem.com).

#RealTimeChem Awards 2017 

Just like previous years, I will be offering awards for the best tweets during #RealTimeChem Week. The format has radically changed this time.

Awards will be given out for tweets posted on all seven days of the event, however, this year the old daily award system has been retired and replaced by new “best of” categories.  These are as follows:

• Selfie 
• Video 
• Chem Joke
• Glassware
• Chem Fail
• Colorful Chem (sponsored by C&EN – see below)
• Reaction Pic  (sponsored by C&EN – see below)
• Crystal Pic (sponsored by C&EN – see below)

Most of these categories are intentionally broad and they hopefully cover the majority of areas that #RealTimeChem encompasses. So… to potentially win a prize in the awards all you have to do is tweet something within these categories using #RealTimeChem during the week. I’ll be keeping an eye on the hashtag and gathering up the best tweets with a summary of winners at the end of the week. There will be one winner per category and two honorable mentions as runners up (no prizes for these I’m afraid, except in the C&EN sponsored categories).

Each winner (i.e. 8 of you) will receive the traditional, #RealTimeChem Week mug with this years #ChemTogether theme on it.

 

Prizes winners will be announced on  Wednesday 15th November. Winners will be asked to provide address details and then mug prizes will be sent out late November/early December.

Update: New prizes from C&EN. 

After talks with the wonderful folks at C&EN, the following three categories:

• Colorful Chem 
• Reaction Pic  
• Crystal Pic 

have been sponsored for additional cash/gift card prizes. You will also have your tweet featured in C&EN’s Chemistry in Pictures (see example here)! So the very best Reaction Pic, Crystal Pic and Colorful Chem tweets of the week will receive the following (in addition to the winners receiving a mug):

• $100 for the 3 winners in each category (3 prizes in total)
• $25 for each runner up (6 prizes in total)

Please note that cash prizes are only for US-based competitors. However, international entries are also eligible. Instead of a cash prize you will receive an Amazon gift card.

Reminder that to enter in for a prize you simply need to tweet using the hashtag #RealTimeChem during the week and make sure that your tweet fits one of the categories. Best of luck!

The Great #RealTimeChem Cook Off (11^th– 12^th November) 

Now on its third year, The Great #RealTimeChem Cook Off celebrates the perfect combination that is chemistry and cooking.

This year’s contest is again sponsored by the @ChemPubSoc_Euro journals.*

Five winners will receive a ChemPubSoc Europe package containing

–A copy of What’s Cooking in Chemistry: How Leading Chemists Succeed in the Kitchen
-An exclusive #chemquackers scientist rubber duck (which you can use for all your #RealTimeChem posts and personal travels!)
-Other Wiley-VCH goodies!

The competition only takes place on the weekend of #RealTimeChem Week. Feel free to cook something during the week, but the tweet must be shared on the weekend of November 11th-12th to count.

All you have to do to enter the competition is to tweet your culinary creation (anything cooking, baking or food related) and include #RealTimeChem #whatscooking & @ChemPubSoc_Euro at the end of your tweet. Your tweet should include a picture or video of your creation and ideally have a short description (the description can even talk about the chemistry in your cooking! It’s up to you). Alternatively, you can write/link a recipe for others to try.

Everyone who tweets a cooking-related post using these hashtags will be entered into the competition, and 5 favourites will win a prize.

Hopefully with a bit more notice this time, you’ll all have time to get some ingredients in and post a tweet. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with!

—
*@ChemEurJ, @ChemistrySelect, @ChemistryOpen, @ChemBioChem, @ChemCatChem, @ChemMedChem, @ChemElectroChem, @ChemPhysChem, @ChemPlusChem, @ChemSusChem,@ChemPhotoChem, @EurJIC, and Eur. J. Org. Chem (all journals of @ChemPubSoc_Euro); @ChemAsianJ, @AsianJOrgChem, and @ChemNanoMat (all journals of the Asian Chemical Editorial Society); and @angew_chem (a journal of @GDCh_aktuell).

Update: Additional prize! Matt Hartings (@sciencegeist) has kindly offered one winner a signed copy of his book “Chemistry In Your Kitchen” as a prize. This will be awarded to the very best Cook Off tweet of the weekend. 

The #RealTimeChem Week Blog Carnival – #ChemTogether (6th-12th November)

While the primary action for #RealTimeChem Week takes place on Twitter, there is also a blog carnival that runs alongside it. Chemistry bloggers are part of a thriving community and there are some excellent writers out there just waiting for readers.

Previously, #RealTimeChem Week 2015 had a “Back to the Future” theme, resulting in some fantastic posts on #OldTimeChem and #FutureTimeChem (highlights are available here at SciTechConnect).

#RealTimeChem Week 2016 was focused on “New elements in chemistry” (#NewElemChem) which focused on a range of topics about new experiences in the blogger’s chemical lives (round ups here and here at SciTechConnect).

This year, it’s all about #ChemTogether:

Write a blog post telling a story in your life as a chemist where you have collaborated with another chemist (or chemists!). This could be the story of how a recent research paper came into being,  a daring tale of an adventure you had attending a chemistry conference or a personal narrative about how chemists are the most fun people at parties. You could answer that long standing question; what should a group of chemists be called anyway? You could blog about how chemists do things together periodically – like we haven’t heard that joke before. This is your story. Let us know how you #ChemTogether.

So, if you are a blogger, write a post and share it during the Week on Twitter using the hastag #ChemTogether. The carnival this year is being hosted here on Doctor Galactic & The Labcoat Cowboy. I will be looking out for this hashtag and will collect your blog post into round ups (2-3 times in the week depending on numbers) so they are all in one place for easy access.

Please note, if you don’t use the hashtag, then your post won’t be included in the carnival, so please make sure you remember to add it. I’ll also be retweeting these via @RealTimeChem to draw attention to them during the week. Happy writing!

 

Other events/competitions

#Ozchem competition by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)

 

For all you chemists in the community based in the land down under, RACI (who are behind the excellent #ozchem hashtag) are running a series of competitions during #RealTimeChem Week. There are three participation prizes on offer for Australian Chemists:

• Best #ChemTogether photograph (you don’t even need Twitter for this one)
• Twitter adoption prize
• Outstanding contribution

For the full details on how to enter these competition, please see the RACI website post: https://www.raci.org.au/raci-news/realtimechem-week

 

Kit Chapman’s Signed Periodic Table Auction in aid of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH)

A fantastic opportunity to own a piece of history and also help raise money for an amazing charity in East Anglia. To learn more about the vital work of EACH please click here.

More information can be found in Kit’s Tweets below. Also check out the auction page on eBay itself 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 or to sponsor one of the above events, then please get in touch with me via realtimechem@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to chat about the possibilities.

-Doctor Galactic-