The 1998 Nobel Prize was awarded to Walter Kohn "for his development of the density-functional theory" and to John Pople "for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry." They enabled improved energy calculations on molecules and other multi-atom systems. Chemists have taken advantage of those developments to perform calculations on systems during reactive encounters, thereby obtaining a better understanding of chemical dynamics and allowing for predictions regarding the course of chemical reactions based on the energies of various possible transition states.
Supplement
A list of all recipients of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, their affiliations, and work for which the award was made is available.
The "Chemistry Teacher Connection" (CTC) is especially for high school chemistry teachers. For only $40/year, it offers an online-only subscription to CLIC along with membership in the Division of Chemical Education, normally $65/year. CTC subscribers receive access to all articles and supplements from 1996 through the current issue.
Through special arrangement with the ACS, JCE High School CLIC is now able to provide subscribers with online access to Chemical & Engineering News articles that have been selected specifically for secondary science instructors and their students.
Occasionally, collections of JCE back issues become available for donation to individual teachers, schools, or libraries. JCE matches collections with interested recipients. Recipients pay shipping costs or pick up the collection.