We are pleased to launch Volume 8 of *Molecules* with a special issue containing a selection of lectures and papers presented at the ISFMS 2002 conference, co-sponsored by MDPI and hosted by the Ocean University of China last July 2002 at Qingdao, P.R China \[[@B1-molecules-08-00001]\]. We are especially honoured to present the text of the Science and Society Lecture given by the 1991 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Professor Dr. Richard Ernst (ETH, Switzerland).

The other 21 papers in this issue are expanded, peer-reviewed versions of some of the presentations given at the conference, which represent a cross-section of current research taking place on the frontiers of molecular science.

Reference
=========
