By Steve McCormack The mood among chemists in higher education a year or two ago was one of unrelieved gloom.

By PETER ELSON WITH tension mounting as Liver pool races towards holding the title for European Capital of Culture in 2008 how do we shape up on the old lingo front? Especially after the doom and gloom that was predicted after the ending of compulsory language teaching in secondary schools.

Now is the time to put molecules to work for us, according to a nanotechnology scientist who discovered a new spherical molecule, writes Kathy Burke .

The Nobel laureate and co-discoverer of the "Buckyball" visits Dublin next week to deliver an Academy Times lecture on his work. Sir Harry Kroto's free public talk is organised jointly by the Royal Irish Academy, The Irish Times and the British Council.

NOBEL Prize-winning chemist Professor Sir Harry Kroto is to return his honorary degree to Exeter University in protest at plans to close the institution's chemistry department.