Holistic analytical Chemistry

Prof.Ali Gokmen’s Advanced Analytical Chemistry students had a practical – a day of seeing life from different angles. As chemists, and also as human beings sharing this increasingly crowded planet, can they see connections that are often ignored?

Bread cooked in a wood-fired oven: Where has the oak come from, and what happens to the ashes? These are high in trace minerals but also pH!

Two of us looked at nature in winter. Many plants are recognisable in their driJerusalem thorned out form. This year’s Jerusalem thorn Verbascum - young and old fruits are ready for harvest – good for triglyceride reduction. This year’s Mullein will bloom next year. Last year’s dried form waits to host any seed ready to try the dry slopes. It can also be a tea.

In the morning, we visited the site of the Village Institute at Hasadsc_1000noğlan. An enthusiastic teacher took on a full visit, telling us its history and stories of past students, many of whom went on to leave their mark on Turkish society through the decades. Could current students contribute in some small way to Güneşköy? Check this website – can you recommend an improvement, tell us what you think is missing? The pleasant group of chemistry students, ready to share and learn, will now be analysing contents of soils, manure, rocks; I look forward to your results…