[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20988]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       CHEMISTRY WEEK RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2005

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, as we face the concern about the United 
States' ability to sustain its scientific and technological superiority 
throughout this decade and beyond, when we are losing jobs to more 
technologically literate nations, and when our science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics education is in need of serious attention 
and renovation, it is important that we consider this resolution 
recognizing the importance of chemistry in our everyday lives, and in 
particular with the toys that we, or our children, grandchildren, or 
family members play with today. That is why today I am introducing 
along with Representative Vernon Ehlers a resolution recognizing the 
importance and positive contributions of chemistry to our everyday 
lives and supporting the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week.
  We have all seen the joy and wonder of children at play, and we can 
certainly all recall our favorite childhood toys, such as Silly Putty, 
the Slinky, and the Etch-a-Sketch. In fact, the astronauts on the 
Apollo 8 mission carried Silly Putty with them to alleviate boredom and 
to help fasten down tools during periods of weightlessness. Silly Putty 
came to us as a product of chemistry; Silly Putty is a polymer of 
isoprene.
  BusinessWeek Online ran an article with the subtitle ``Toymakers are 
pushing the boundaries in artificial intelligence, wireless 
communications, and virtual realities. And the benefits are flowing to 
other industries as well.'' The military, the medical field, gamers, 
chemists, and material scientists all connect to the toy industry. 
Chemists and material scientists have created such materials as self-
healing plastics, giving toys and many other consumer goods a longer 
lifetime.
  The curiosity that toys ignite through the ``why did it do that?'' 
and ``how did that happen?'' invigorate the exploration and discovery 
of the world around us. Many scientists and engineers turn to toys for 
moments of respite and of inspiration. Innovations in technology, at 
times can be traced back to moments with toys. That is why this 
year's's theme of National Chemistry Week, ``The Joy of Toys'', is 
relevant. What better ways to inspire and educate the potential 
chemists and engineers of tomorrow but through the loved experiences of 
playing with toys and learning what has made all the fun possible?
  Toys spark imagination, imagination fuels innovation. The celebration 
of chemistry, a science which is the backbone to the health of many 
industries including pharmaceuticals, electronics, automotive, and 
aerospace, through the chemistry of toys is worthy of our wholehearted 
support. It is in the best interest of our Nation to create both a 
curiosity and a desire to understand our world to fuel a technological 
and scientifically literate, critical thinking population to carry us 
forward in the 21st century.

                          ____________________