The Proceedings of the 24th International Solvay Conference on Chemistry comprise contributed short personal statements and transcripts of in-depth discussions on 'Catalysis in Chemistry and Biology' from a by-invitation-only select group of 48 eminent scientists, including four Nobel Laureates, from all parts of the world. The theme of the conference was presented in six sessions, along which the Proceedings are organized. The first session on 'Homogeneous Catalysis,' chaired by Professor Robert Grubbs, is devoted to basic research on catalysis in homogeneous solutions and applications thereof. 'Heterogeneous Catalysis and Characterization of Catalyst Surfaces,' chaired by Professor Gerhard Ertl, includes extensive references to industrial applications of catalysis on solid supports, and discussions on the experimental techniques used in this field. 'Catalysis by Microporous Materials,' chaired by Professor Mark E. Davis, is devoted to a detailed characterization of this particular class of solid support catalysts, with special emphasis on model analysis of the processes catalyzed by these materials. 'Catalysis under Extreme Conditions: Studies at High Pressure and High Temperatures — Relations with Processes in Nature,' chaired by Professor Henk N W Lekkerkerker, broadens the scope of the two preceding sessions with exciting illustrations. The sessions on 'Catalysis by Protein Enzymes,' chaired by Prof. JoAnne Stubbe, and 'Catalysis by Ribozymes in Molecular Machines,' chaired by Prof. David Lilley, present at the same time an exciting extension of and a contrast to the initial four sessions. The combination of the six sessions provides an impressive overview, giving innovative insights into relationships between catalysis in chemical processes and in biological systems, and a unique outlook to anticipated developments in the coming years and the more distant future.

Ever since 1911, the Solvay Conferences have shaped modern physics. The format is quite different from other conferences as the emphasis is placed on discussion. The 26th edition held in October 2014 in Brussels and chaired by Roger Blandford continued this tradition and addressed some of the most pressing open questions in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology, gathering many of the leading figures working on a wide variety of profound problems.The proceedings contain the 'rapporteur talks' giving a broad overview with unique insights by distinguished renowned scientists. These lectures cover the five sessions: 'Neutron Stars', 'Black Holes', 'Cosmic Dawn', 'Dark Matter' and 'Cosmic Microwave Background'.In the Solvay tradition, the proceedings also include the prepared comments to the rapporteur talks. The discussions among the participants — expert, yet lively and sometimes contentious — have been edited to retain to retain their flavor and are reproduced in full. The reader is taken on a breathtaking ride through 42 years of extraordinary discovery since astrophysics was last on the Solvay program and 57 years since cosmology was last discussed.

This volume presents the state of the art in the research on new possibilities for communication and computation based on quantum theory and nonlocality, as well as related directions and problems. It discusses challenging issues: decoherence and irreversibility; nonlocality and superluminosity; photonics; quantum information and communication; quantum computation.

Chaired by K Wüthrich (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2002) and co-chaired by B Feringa (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2016), this by-invitation-only conference gathered around 40 participants, who are well-recognized leaders in the diverse field of Chemistry. The highlights of the Conference Proceedings include short prepared statements by all the participants, and the recordings of lively discussions on the current and future perspectives in the field of chemistry, with topics ranging from renewable energy and new materials to vaccines.

A topic for a Solvay Conference should be general enough to conform with the great tradition of previous conferences. On the other hand it should not be so broad that it can not be covered during the limited time of the conference. After discussion of several such topics, "Design and Synthesis of Organic Molecules Based on Molecular Recognition" was chosen. According to Albert Einstein we live in an era of perfect methods and confused aims. For example in organic chemistry the known synthetic methods allow us to prepare an astronomical number of compounds; the gap between the possible and the relevant becomes larger every day. After discovery and classification of the main types of reactions, the study of the selectivity of reactions becomes of paramount importance. One can learn quite a lot from Nature, which uses molecular recognition to achieve selec tivity in a degree so far unattainable by mere mortals. To analyze the structural features applied by Nature, to accomplish high molecular recog nition, and to simulate these features by synthesis have recently become therefore favorite occupations of chemists. The purpose of this conference was to bring together two groups, the analysts and the syntheticists, to discuss the present status of the knowledge. This monograph contains the chairman's introduction in which he has summarized the main points at issue and the contributions of the renowned scientists who participated. The organizers hope that it will stimulate further research in this fascinating field.

This first book on this fascinating topic is edited by one of today's most famous and internationally respected organic chemists, renowned for his pioneering synthesis of the cyclopropenyl cation. For his part, Ronald Breslow has brought together leading scientists in this expanding area to provide a novel overview of protein-, cyclodextrin-, metal- and porphyrin-based artificial enzymes as well as enzyme-like polymers and dendrimers. A must for all scientists interested in this emerging field.