Athens 2035
Gazing into a crystal ball is not only fun, it can also stimulate discussion about the road we need to take. And sometimes it can cause controversy or make us reflect on the past.
At HPLC 2015 in Geneva, Peter Schoenmakers made a number of bold predictions for “Athens 2035: a peak capacity of 1,000,000 is commonly achieved; spatial 3D-LC is well established; the Netherlands are finally soccer world champions; some delegates argue that LC is now mature and that major developments can no longer be expected.” Some of his ideas were (semi-)serious, some were fun, and a few were controversial. But all of his forecasts shared one thing in common: they got people thinking and talking. Peter also somewhat satirically alluded to the state of the Greek economy (which may have offended some delegates), but who can prove that HPLC 2035 won’t be hosted in Athens? A great deal can happen in 20 years; projecting so far ahead should protect us from too much criticism.
Six members of the 2013 Power List joined me for tea in Geneva (watch the latest trailer: tas.txp.to/0715/teawithrich). They all commented, with a smile, on Peter’s lecture and the buzz that it had generated. The previous month, we posed a similar question in our feature “Pushing the Limits of LC” – but our gurus only dared predict 10 years ahead. If nothing else, our predictions of the future echo where we would like to be.
To that end, we’d love to hear your vision of 2035. Whether you’re in metabolomics, foodomics, lipidomics – or a field with no-omics – please get in touch with your serious or fun predictions. Simply email: [email protected]. You never know, collectively we might even get a few right.
Finally, and much more seriously, while looking to the future, we should not forget the past – nor the pioneers who have contributed so much to progress. Late last year, we lost Georges Guiochon, who was honored at HPLC 2015 with the inception of a special Faculty Fellowship. (Next month, we sit down with its inaugural member – Amy Herr.)
On July 8, 2015, the HPLC field sadly lost another highly respected pioneer. Over the course of her lifetime, Phyllis Brown received the Tswett Medal and the Dal Nogare Award among many other accolades. She will not only be profoundly missed by her family, but also by the many students whose lives were touched by her passion and dedication. It reminds us that, at the very least, we should attempt to make a difference over the next 20 years.
Rich Whitworth completed his studies in medical biochemistry at the University of Leicester, UK, in 1998. To cut a long story short, he escaped to Tokyo to spend five years working for the largest English language publisher in Japan. "Carving out a career in the megalopolis that is Tokyo changed my outlook forever. When seeing life through such a kaleidoscopic lens, it's hard not to get truly caught up in the moment." On returning to the UK, after a few false starts with grey, corporate publishers, Rich was snapped up by Texere Publishing, where he spearheaded the editorial development of The Analytical Scientist. "I feel honored to be part of the close-knit team that forged The Analytical Scientist – we've created a very fresh and forward-thinking publication." Rich is now also Content Director of Texere Publishing, the company behind The Analytical Scientist.
