Can aesthetics contribute to chemistry?

Chemistry is one of the most aesthetically expressive scientific practices. One need not study it at an advanced level to experience the beauty of coloured fire or the surprise when producing ‘elephant’s toothpaste’; to play with colour changes in redox reactions, or create carbon snakes. There are many lists of favourite experiments online, and passionate debates among chemistry enthusiasts about which experiments are the most cool or beautiful. 

While delving into the beauty of chemistry may be a fun hobby or a valuable pedagogical tool for many practitioners of chemistry, some philosophers make the study of beauty in science central to their work . Extensive research has been done on the connection between theory, truth and aesthetic values. However, lately there is another context in which aesthetics is also studied: that of scientific experimentation. 

Aesthetic values can be found in modern science ever since its emergence during the Scientific Revolution. In the 17th and 18th centuries, institutions collectively studied natural phenomena and enhanced the role of experimental analysis in understanding nature. In this context, scientific experiments – as conducted at the Royal Society, for example – became public events that were performed in front of an audience. They could be characterised as ‘artistic performances’ that aimed at creating awe and admiration.