Monthly Archives: April 2011

Sour Patch Kids are Full of Protons

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Sharon Neufeldt

Take a look at the ingredient list on the back of a Sour Patch Kids bag the next time you go to the movie theater, and you probably won’t be surprised to discover that this gummy candy contains a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Chemistry Basics, Fun Stuff | 5 Comments

You know you spend too much time in the lab when…

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Sharon Neufeldt

I hope I’m not the only chemist who frequently wakes up in the morning to realize I’d just been wasting my sleep time by dreaming about chemistry. Kekule famously dreamt , but mine – so far – have been just … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Fun Stuff | 6 Comments

Low Hanging Fruit

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Sharon Neufeldt

This past week, I met with a visiting professor who commented that chemistry research is harder and more complex than it used to be. Most of the “low-hanging fruit” has already been picked, and the major problems facing chemistry today … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Fun Stuff, Old Chemistry | 1 Comment

Chemistry of Morphine, Heroin, and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Sharon Neufeldt

You’ve heard the warnings – don’t eat poppy seeds before taking a drug test. The seeds can trigger a false positive reading for opioids, making your potential employer think you could be a heroin addict. A few years back, Mythbusters … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Fun Stuff, Medicine | 26 Comments

A Lexicon of Chemistry Terms to Review Before Attending Your Kid’s Thesis Defense

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Sharon Neufeldt

Hypothetically, let’s say that (1) I graduate someday and (2) my parents come out for my thesis defense. Since I am, in fact, not curing cancer, I fear that my defense will be a snoozer for any non-chemists such as … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Chemistry Basics | 2 Comments

This Just In: Grow a Bigger Brain Without Getting Off the Couch!

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Sharon Neufeldt

A couple of months ago, published an article demonstrating that aerobic exercise can increase the size of your hippocampus. Well, for those of you interested in growing your gray matter without breaking a sweat, this latest (unrelated) study is for … Continue reading →

Posted in Brain Stuff, Psychology Stuff | 1 Comment

A Proposed Modification to the English Language

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Sharon Neufeldt

A Question I begin this post with a serious question, particularly for non-chemists. If I say the following to you, does it make sense? I would love to be done with my taxes by now, but there’s such a high … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Chemistry Basics, Fun Stuff | 12 Comments