The public perception and understanding of organic chemistry still leave much to be desired. My colleagues and I recently surveyed 753 adults across the US about the field (Nat. Rev. Chem. 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41570-026-00872-1). Only 30% correctly identified organic chemistry as the chemistry of carbon-based molecules. Many failed to recognize its connections to pharmaceuticals and society, and most did not associate learning organic chemistry with curiosity or innovation.
The findings are not all that surprising, as organic chemistry has spent decades haunting college students as a notoriously difficult course. But if that reputation extends beyond the classroom, changing it requires engaging the broader public. As chemists, we devote considerable effort to teaching our students but perhaps less to those outside our classrooms. Does the public actually lack interest in organic chemistry, or have we fallen short in our efforts to reach them?
