grabs two other molecules as they go tumbling by and brings them together, so that they can interact and fuse very quickly. Then the catalyst releases the newly wedded pair, grabs another pair, and so on. Chemists also know of a lot of catalyst molecules that act as chemical axe murderers, sidling up to one molecule after another and slicing them apart. Either way, catalysts are the backbone of the modern chemical industry. Gasoline, plastics, dyes, pharmaceuticals—almost none of it would be possible without catalysts.
