American Chemical Society Opens Meeting in Philadelphia
By Mike Dougherty
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Some of the brightest minds in the world are at the Pennsylvania Convention Center this week to attend the American Chemical Society conference.
Did you ever walk into a room and immediately realize your IQ just didn't measure up to everyone else in there? Well, I just stepped into an abundance of brilliance.
"We have more brain power in Philadelphia now than probably anywhere else on the face of the earth," says ACS director of public affairs Glenn Ruskin.
He says the scientists here are working to solve the world's problems.
"Getting together and being able to interact and collaborate is one of the great means of advancing science," says Ruskin. "Whether it's energy, whether it's food, it's health."
For example, Dr. Richard Baxter and researchers at Yale found a way to chemically lower the sperm count of male mosquitoes.
"And suppress the actual population of mosquitoes and that way we can stop the transmission of malaria," Baxter says.
Dr. Baxter's report is just one of 8,600 that will be presented this week. Other reports include how chocolate can have a positive affect on you mood and information about a new material called "solid smoke" -- it can be used for clothing and building insulation, scientists claim it achieves more warmth with less bulk.
The conference runs through August 23rd and it's only open to ACS members.For more information about the American Chemical Society: http://www.acs.org
