Disciplines of chemistry as retail chains. The IKEA of Chemistry

Total Synthesis- The Wal-Mart of Chemistry. Okay, before I alienate my tot. syn. friends with this one, let’s think about it. Typically, when modern reactions are developed, they are almost immediately put to task in syntheses of natural products, as proof of their usefulness. People go to natural products in a pinch, typically cause they have nowhere else to go. Much like Wal-Mart. Both Wal-Mart and total synthesis labs are open 24 hours. Also, both have gathered quite a bit of controversy in their exploitation of labor…