TOPOLOGY is also CRITICAL IN MOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY. The great biologist, Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), discovered the CHIRALITY or "handedness" of molecules in discovering what made some grape mashes go bad. When light is passed through some molecular, light is ROTATED TO THE LEFT ("polarization"), in some TO THE RIGHT. Most molecular collections are a "racemic" mixture of these two types.

In the 1960s, THALIDOMIDE was given in racemic mixtures to pregnant women to treat morning sickness. The LEFT-HANDED THALIDOMIDE cured the monring sickness, but RIGHT-HANDED THALIDOMIDE caused horrible BIRTH DEFECTS, such as many children born with only stumps of arms. This was corrected. But most PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES have still not produced NONRACEMIC ("optically pure") PRODUCTS, although promising to do so. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) says it will require this in the future. "TOPOLOGY IN YOUR FUTURE!" If The Media would do their part in higlighting and pushing this matter, we might be better protected.

Yet topology is not taught! Teachers, students, citizens alike are ignorant of its presence in our daily lives and the GREAT PROMISE OF ITS RESOURCES IF WE BUT USE THEM!