Re: how a computer scientist connects with chemistry?

The various scientific disciplines are not sealed boxes with 
independent content! There is a great deal of overlap--and many 
people would assert that the most interesting questions lie where 
two fields overlap, such as biochemistry or biomechanical 
engineering.

How do computer science and chemistry overlap? "Pure" computer 
science--the study of algorithms and data structures and 
programming languages--doesn't need much from chemistry. 
However, computer engineering requires extensive knowledge of 
chemistry and physics --the foundations of semiconductors and 
electronics. Chemists study the nature of materials. In the case of 
computers this would include the way silicon behaves when it is 
processed into transistors. The manufacturing process for computer 
chips is also chemically intensive.

On the other hand, it is doubtful if anyone could study chemistry 
without using computers. Computers are essential in acquiring, 
analyzing, and visualizing data. Computer models of molecules and 
chemical reactions give chemists insights into how reactions occur 
and which reactions show the most promise.

To bring this discussion full circle, studying problems such as 
molecular modeling and real-time control of instrumentation has 
given computer science (the programming side) many interesting 
problems to work on, and led to the development of new 
programming techniques and languages.