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Category Archives: Chemistry
Pandemic Disorder Threatens Public Health*
A widespread disorder affecting a staggering number of citizens in developed countries, including the U.S., has recently been brought into the spotlight.
Posted in Chemistry, Communication, Fun Stuff
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My Beverage Tastes Better Because I’m a Chemist
I bought some ginger tea a little while back, but it turned out a little disappointing. Despite steeping the tea for longer than the prescribed 5–10 minutes, I could barely detect any of the characteristic spicy flavor that I was … Continue reading
Posted in Amateur Research, Chemistry
14 Comments
If James Cameron Did Chemistry
Chemistry has a lot of smart researchers, but no names or faces that the Average Joe would recognize. The field needs a hero but, as Chembark points out, what chemist has the time to be a spokesperson? Research in the … Continue reading
Posted in Chemistry, Fun Stuff
9 Comments
Finding an Alzheimer’s Drug From Scratch
Pharmaceutical companies sometimes get a bad rap, but most people don’t realize just how labor/money-intensive the process of drug discovery is. A recent paper offers a little glimpse at the process
Posted in Brain Stuff, Chemistry
2 Comments
The Chemistry of Sweet
As a new year begins, so do new diet plans. Many diets encourage replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners as a way to cut calories. So what’s really in those pink, blue, and yellow sugar-substitute packets?
Posted in Chemicals Among Us, Chemistry
5 Comments
Class Action Lawsuit Against Brazilian Blowout
I’m still on Christmas break, with minimal internet availability, but here’s a tidbit of news about Brazilian Blowout. Courthouse News Service reports today that a class action lawsuit was filed against Brazilian Blowout
Posted in Brazilian Blowout, Chemistry
2 Comments
Christmas Chemistry!
Here’s a random assortment of holiday cheer, with just a hint a big dollop of chemistry nerdiness.
Trespassing Viruses Will Be Killed on Contact
It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time to start thinking about the flu!
Posted in Chemistry, Medicine, Viruses
3 Comments
Update: ACC’s Position on Formaldehyde
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has issued a statement about the formaldehyde/methylene glycol “controversy”. You can read a summary of the statement here, and the full statement here. Here’s a couple of key quotes:
Posted in Brazilian Blowout, Chemistry, Current Events
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I Can Has Science Hair Straightener?
My apologies, I really do not want to turn this into a Brazilian Blowout Blog. However, I am super swamped this week and am writing on borrowed time, and Brazilian Blowout keeps falling into my lap. The last week and … Continue reading
Posted in Brazilian Blowout, Chemistry, Current Events
2 Comments
Really, We’re Doing This Again?
More drama on the Brazilian Blowout front. (For a recap from last time, see here.) For whatever reason, a BB spokesperson emailed me again this weekend with another press release,
Posted in Brazilian Blowout, Chemistry, Chemistry Basics, Current Events
7 Comments
Alien Life and the Periodic Table
A “new” life form was documented in a Science article released yesterday. OK, so it’s not exactly alien life: it was found in California (Earth) and, technically, its unusual characteristics are kind of due to human interference. Regardless, these little … Continue reading
Posted in Bacteria, Chemistry, Chemistry Basics
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Brazilian Blowout and Formaldehyde
Having no reason to do my hair since I’m in lab all day Having naturally straight hair, I don’t usually pay attention to trendy methods of hair-straightening. Until yesterday, that is, when a colleague pointed out a Fashionista article to … Continue reading
Posted in Brazilian Blowout, Chemistry, Chemistry Basics, Current Events
23 Comments
The Machinery of Retroviruses Part 2: Using X-Rays to Solve Scientific Problems
(Part 1 here) X-ray crystallography is used by the authors of a recent Nature paper to visualize the structure of certain key molecules relevant to retroviruses. Though we usually think of X-rays as just a way of looking at our … Continue reading
Posted in Chemistry, Chemistry Basics, Materials, Viruses
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Chemicals Among Us: Acetic Acid Top Ten Facts
Like acetone in a previous post, acetic acid is another common laboratory chemical that makes frequent cameo appearances in your home. Here are 10 – dare I say – “fun” facts about acetic acid that you may or may not … Continue reading
Posted in Chemicals Among Us, Chemistry, Fun Stuff
3 Comments
Just Enough to be Dangerous
As part of my endeavor to figure out how to explain what I do to non-chemists without resorting to lies and vague generalities, I sat down and thought about atoms and molecules. Though it was a big conceptual jump when … Continue reading
Posted in Chemistry, Chemistry Basics
2 Comments
Dissolving Bears and Limericks
Q: A bear from Yosemite and a bear from Alaska fall into a pool of water. Which one dissolves first?
Top 10 Things You Did or Didn’t Know About Acetone
The majority of people know acetone only as it relates to removing nailpolish. Organic chemists like myself, on the other hand, would have a lot of trouble imagining life without acetone.
Posted in Chemicals Among Us, Chemistry, Fun Stuff
3 Comments
Organic Chemistry, Jersey Shore Style
The cast of the strangely popular TV show Jersey Shore are known for their extreme obsession with tanning. Earlier this year, Snooki switched from tanning beds to using spray-on tans, citing Obama’s tanning tax and “friggin’ cancer”. Unlike UV light, … Continue reading
Current Events: Red Sludge
Last week a massive spill of red sludge from an aluminum production company in Hungary killed several people and destroyed a tremendous amount of property. Here’s a look at what this red sludge is and why it’s so bad.
Posted in Chemistry, Current Events
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