Journal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad Moscow Russia
Issue no.8 Saturday 21 July 2007

“If young people
talk to each otherthey will never fight against”
Manfred Kerschbaumer (Austria), President of
the Steering Committee of the IChO
All exams finished yesterday. Nothing can be changed.
But I hope that everyone coped with tasks, showed all
the knowledge they had and did their best. I hope everything was smooth and you will always be the best,
the fastest and will always win!
– Why does the theoretical tour go after practical?
In many cases, the order is reversed.
– You are right – usually, the theoretical exam is
the first part. But there is a historical explanation! In
1990 in Paris we had very difficult and long theoretical competition. The students were disappointed,
frustrated and didn’t like Chemistry Olympiad at all!
So the main argument is to save the interest! The second argument is timetable. On the first day we had an
Opening Ceremony and a Lab inspection. After that
we discussed the practical part and next day translated it. And when translation of theoretical part began,
nobody went to sleep the whole night! Practical partis shorter, so the International Jury has changed theorder of parts. Some changes we had in 2002 in theNetherlands: mentors discussed theory and practice atonce and then they had the whole day for translation.
But the system when the practical exam is at the headworks and I think we will save it for years.
– Are you satisfied with the level of tasks?
– The level of practical part is OK. The level oftheoretical one is rather high. There are a lot of interesting but difficult tasks. However, this is the International Olympiad and the level of theoretical questions should be comparable with practical ones. If tolook at previous Olympiads that were 10-15 years ago
the level has been changed, especially in the field ofpractical competition. These changes have appeared
because of modern methods we invented in chemistry. The theory has also been changed - first of all inthe volume of the texts. 20 years ago the whole set oftheoretical tasks concluded 10 pages with 5000 characters, now we have 25 000 characters!

– What is the main goal of such an event for you?
– A lot of young people get together. We connect
them with each other. We help them to communicate
with people of other cultures and languages. They
have one thing in common, one thing they can easily
talk about – chemistry It will help them to learn how
to develop and change a subject. And if young people
talk to each other they will never fight against. I think
it is the main goal of such an event.
– What is the main function of Steering Committee?
– The International Steering Committee was foundin 1992 because the number of countries-participants
was so big that it was impossible to discuss problems with such amount of people and find a solution.
Furthermore, the majority of mentors aren’t native
English speaking persons, and our communication
is in English. So today we have a small group of 14
members from different countries: Russia, Austria,
Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, Ireland, Australia, United Kingdom, Korea, China. They know
English and we can prepare proposals to Jury (for allthe mentors) for voting and decision. May be, we will
also help to solve financial problems in the future.
to be continued on the page 3

Journal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad Moscow Russia
Issue no.8 Saturday 21 July 2007

Hard work has done. Congratulations!

Everybody knew that it was not allowed. Only one didn’t.
And he was the one who made a discovery. A. EinsteinJournal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad Moscow Russia
Issue no.8 Saturday 21 July 2007

Dialogue with mentors

very important to get a moral support
from your relatives. About the safetyof their children - no, they aren’t.

Diana Piano, Portugal

Galina Shevtsova, Peru

-What are the difficulties you are facing while translation?
-Yes, there are some of them, because
we are Spanish-speaking country, but
we are in a close touch with the teamfrom Spain and they help us.
-What are your functions as mentors?
-We translate the tasks and the works,
check them and if there are different
views on the result, we discuss it withmentors of Russian team and usually
come to the compromise. If everything is the same, that’s no problem.
-Do the parents call you often, because their children can’t ring them?
-No, really not so often. On the one
hand, they were prepared to this situation that the mobile phones would betaken. On the other hand, they trust us
and they are sure that their children
are safe and happy.
Noorsaadan Abd. Rahman,
Malaysia-Was it difficult to translate the tasks
for you or not?
-No, personally for me it wasn’t. The
only difficulty is that I’m not an expert in all branches of chemistry (I’mteaching organic synthesis and drugdesign), so sometimes I took adviceof some more experienced people inthis area.

from page 1- Are the parents worrying about theirchildren, because they are so far awayfrom home?
- Yes, of course, they are worrying
in the case of such competitions, it’s
– Do you like Moscow? What has changed since your last visit?
– I like Moscow! I was here in 1996 as a Mentor of 28thIChO for the first time and twice this year: in December– with other members of Organizing Committee for Jury
Meeting of 39th IChO and now – when 39th IChO has
been opened. For these 10 years the city has changed greatly. The number of cars, traffic jams and people on streets
have increased. But I like it. The first day after translation
work I went to the Red Square by metro. My biggest impression is the Kremlin and Diamond Hall where I was this-Galina, your name sounds quite Russian for us.
- Yes, I’m originally from Russia. I
graduated Moscow State University
in 1970, we were the classmates with
Valery Vasilyevich Lunin, then, at thesame department (Petroleum Chemistry and Organic Catalysis) we graduated the post-graduated scholarship. I
got my PhD in 1973 and Valery Vasilyevich, I don’t know exactly.
-How many years are you in Peru?
-About 30 years.
-Did Moscow changed from your lastvisit to Russia?
-Yes, certainly Moscow has changed
a lot for recent time: new buildings,
good roads, luxurious hotels and restaurants. But I’m an often guest in Moscow, I come here about twice a year.
John Kotz, USA-Do you have any difficulties with thetranslation?
-Oh, no. We are speaking American
English, it differs in some ways, but
not so much. The only difficulty isthat the tasks are very difficult. Butfor us it’s not a problem.
-Are you satisfied with the level of thetasks?
-We are satisfied with the level of thetasks and the level of our team.
Maria Nefedieva

December. Basket full of diamonds! 10 kilos of diamonds!
I have never seen anything like that! And I would like togo to St. Petersburg, I have never been there. Also I like
Russian cuisine – vodka, “borsch” – I have tasted it! Asfor Russian people – it is a big difference between the newgeneration and elderly people. I think it is very difficult forthem to start, to find a place in the new time. I know thesepeople personally, they are very good people, and Mr. Luninof course! I’m glad to get together this year in Moscow!
Maria Kokhanova

Journal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad Moscow Russia
Issue no.8 Saturday 21 July 2007

Best of the best
The nose of chemist, who works in a big laboratory, runs the danger of serious trials. Because,some of the matters even in a negligible proportions can turn people out of the room. Whichmatters are the most disgusting for our nose andwhich disturb it more then other chemical substances?

Well, it is a real stinker!
Thiols or mercaptans R-SH (the second name ofthese compounds tells on their opportunity to jointhe mercury) have one of the most disgusting smells.
To the natural gas, which usually burns in the stoveon our kitchens, it is accepted to add small quantityof the substance with very strong smell, for example, isoamilmercaptan (CH3)2CH- CH2-CH2- SH, toidentify the gas escape at home. Indeed, people canfeel the smell of this compound in the quantity of
two trillionth part of gramme!
Mercaptans add a smell to the extremely stinking
secretion of skunks, which are named stinker. Butthere are smells even worse…
In the Guinness Records Book it is proclaimed themost stinking substances – ethylmercaptan C4H9SH
and buthylselenmercaptan C4H9SeH. Their smells

Boy – мальчик [malchik]Girl – девочка [devochka]
Beautiful – красивый [krasivi:j]
Ugly – ужасный [uzgasni:j]
Stupid – глупый [glupi:j]Clever – умный [umni:j]
Funny – забавный [zabavni:j]remind “aroma” combination of rotting cabbage,
garlic, onion and sewage at one time. In the bookof the famous Russian scientist-chemist A. Chichibabin “The base principles of the organic chemistry”
it is said that the smell of mercaptans – is one of themost disgusting and strong smells, that can be met
among organic matters…
Nevertheless, the record of sensitiveness belongs to the compound with pleasant smell. This
substance – vanillin, its presence in the air can befelt with the concentration 10-11 gramme in a liter.
However, this record has been beat lately. The newrecordsman - so-called vinous lactone, that as theSwiss chemist H. Gut showed in 1996, gives to red
and white wines the sweetish coco aroma. Our noseis able to feel this substance with the concentration
0,01 picogram in a litre of air.

Lessons in Russian

Sleep – спать [spat]
Together – вместе [vmeste]
Speak – говорить [govorit]
Tasty – вкусный [vkusni:j]
Tea – чай [chaj]
Juice – сок [sok]Water – вода [voda]

CallTomorrow program Sunday July 22thPolice - 02
Fire station and ambulance - 911
39th IChO office (for urgent calls only):
Alexander Gladilin +7 (916) 555 - 70 - 27
Vadim Eremin +7 (916) 611 - 88 - 90
Elena Eremina +7 (916) 133 - 00 - 55
Mentor Support:
Alexander Veresov +7 (910) 452 - 41 - 23
Student support:
Ekaterina Yakubovich +7 (916) 676 - 91 - 00

8.00 – 8.45 Breakfast, Olympiets
9.00 – 13.00 Paintball and “Adventurer”
game
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch, Olympiets
14.00 – 18.00 Free time, sports activities
18.00 – 19.30 Dinner, Olympiets
21.00 – 23.55 Disco

Guest support:
Alexandra (Shura) Prokhorova +7 (916) 587 - 60-26

The issue is prepared by:

Head of the project: Lukichev Alexander // Project managers: Salynkina Irina, Galieva Alina // Correspondents: Agaeva Aysel, Bredina Ekaterina,Davydova Katya, Eremina Maria, Kravtsova Anastasia, Pomerantseva Anna, Sabanova Alina, Nefedieva Maria // Correctors: Anna Berkovich,Sergey Sobolev, Yulia Valeeva // Photographer: Lobus Alexander // Designers: Turin Vadim, Lukichev Ilya
Published and printed by Trace light studio ltd // Call us: +7 (495) 939-26-66 // E-mail: luk-mail@mail.ru

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