7 replies to this topic

[YOLF]

So what application or program do pro chemists use to model chemistry or solve complex equations? Can anyone point me in the right direction? I want to learn enough to be able to have a greater understanding of the conversations here and be able to have a functional impact without spending alot of money or going back to school. Any chance there is a burgeoning field of chemistry apprentistry as there is with computer science and programming?

[Bonee]

Chemistry is so broad, you have to specify some directions first? I guess you are speaking about organic chemistry.
I would say that you should look at the basics first, because there can be elaborate applications for programming but if you don't know basic math or what are strings, loops etc the program would be no use.
The best program is Cambridgesoft Chemoffice in my opinion...
But there are a lot of good books on orgchem or biochem I would start with them^^

[YOLF]

Wow! ChemOffice sounds pretty cool, but I was hoping for a less expensive commitment or a free open source type application. As far as strings and loops, are you talking about programming terms? Or are these math terms? I have some basic knowledge of programming.

[zygotik]

Chemistry is so broad, you have to specify some directions first? I guess you are speaking about organic chemistry.
I would say that you should look at the basics first, because there can be elaborate applications for programming but if you don't know basic math or what are strings, loops etc the program would be no use.
The best program is Cambridgesoft Chemoffice in my opinion...
But there are a lot of good books on orgchem or biochem I would start with them^^

Bonee, any org/biochem books in particular you would recommend?

[Bonee]

I am more into biochem than orgchem
for biochem there area lot of good books but lately I've been using
Marks’ Basic Medical Biochemistry A Clinical Approach, 2nd Edition - Colleen Smith
although as I know they came out with the 4th edition lately
but I can recommend these also
Principles of Biochemistry 5e Lehninger
donald/judith Voet: Biochemistry 4th edition

as for Biochem, it is a far more diverse and harder for me.
afaik the bests are John Mcmurry: Organic Chemistry
Vogel's textbook of practical organic chemistry
maybe good to start with: Organic Chemistry 4th ed - Paula Bruice

[Bonee]

sorry cryonicsculture, we bit deviated from the topic, but
yeah I was talking about programming, I just tried to illustrate that even for the superficial understanding of knowledge like programming or biochem you need to look up the basics or you wont have any idea what some things mean...
as for the programs , there must be some OS alternative for it, I would search google, but as these things are mostly done at universities and they have the monies for such expensive programs
but I don't want to suggest any wrongdoing the pirates have other means of acquiring such goods.^^

[YOLF]

Definitely not interested in stealing it, but I'll definitely be looking for some good open source stuff to learn. OS is really attractive to me, cuz I've been to school for things where I learned this super expensive software and then couldn't afford to buy it afterwards, so I couldn't continue to learn it past what I was taught, and any job I took that didn't have that software was decaying my skills. So personally, I see the expensive software as more of a liability.

[niner]

There are a lot of software tools out there for chemists, but they aren't useful for learning the basics. Here's a self-teaching guide that popped up in an Amazon search. I've never read it, but it has pretty good reviews. Just from looking at the table of contents, it might even be more detail than you need. You should also try to scare up the text for a non-majors course on organic chemistry. You don't need to learn how to do synthesis or read spectra, but you need a little nomenclature and other basics. After that, you'd want some basic biochemistry, but again, you don't need a 500 page book. Just some basics. Finally, some pharmaceutics / pharmacokinetics / drug metabolism knowledge. I think the place to find this at a reasonable level would be in a nursing curriculum. In fact, you might find everything you need in a nursing curriculum, and learning it would have the added benefit of setting you on your way toward being an EMT or nurse, which are in-demand professions, if nothing else.