My name's Annie Pierce and I have a PhD in chemistry as well as ample experience in my family's pharmacy.

Blogs about other disciplines like business of lifestyle receive much more attention than chemistry. I think it's a shame. Sure, these are trendier topics but chemistry way is more important than most other disciplines!

If you ever put sunscreen on your skin or use stainless steel cutlery, it's chemistry that gave you those. If you want your food to last longer or if you want to work on your looks with cosmetics... it's your trusty old pal, chemistry.

Simply, chemistry's got your back no matter what.

Working in a pharmacy put a couple of things into perspective for me. Seeing so many people and helping them with precisely made and mixed chemicals is really something. Even being able to make a living this way... I love it. Who wouldn't?

How could I not enjoy turning elements found in nature into cures for real-life problems? It's so addictive it shouldn't even be possible.

Ever since I was young, taking one thing and turning it into another resembled magic to my impressionable mind. The eerie excitement stayed with me throughout my studies, all the way until I finally got my degree at the Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The university compounded my ever-present passion for chemistry with hard facts and set me up for the life of being a chemist.

The PhD study gave me another great experience, which was teaching classes. I loved standing in front of the people and sharing the accumulated knowledge of our bright minds. I hope the blog will be a possibility to have a similar experience of explaining and discussing the wonders of chemistry.

I understand not everyone has set out to be a scientist...