Apr
30
30
April 2008
Rest In Peace, Albert Hofmann
Posted by Rachel Pepling on April 30, 2008 in Uncategorized
The father of LSD died from a heart attack Tuesday at his home in Basel, Switzerland. He was 102. Who knew a shelved compound could have such an impact on society? Okay, so clearly Hofmann had an inkling. C&EN’s Managing Editor, Ivan Amato, wrote a lovely piece (subscription required) at the time of Hofmann’s 100th birthday. He told me today, “The thing about Hofmann, and particularly his discovery of LSD, that amazes me the most is how it so fantastically links the categories of materialism and psychology.”
Where Chic Geeks Meet To Eat
Apr
30
30
Posted by Corinne Marasco on April 30, 2008 in Chemistry and Food
In the Central Square section of Cambridge, Mass., lies the Miracle of Science Bar & Grill. If you guessed from the name that Massachusetts Institute of Technology is nearby, you’re right, and the decor is distinctly scientific. The menu is displayed periodic table-style on a chalkboard (the prices are where the atomic weights would be) and is organized according to entrée type–appetizers, sandwiches, desserts, etc. Hb is hamburger, Cb is cheeseburger, C1 and C2 are chicken skewers and Br is a dessert brownie. The tables look like lab benches, drinks are served in beakers, and condiments arrive in test tubes.
Overall, it sounds like a place for pub grub and beer. A review in the April 20, 2007, edition of The Tech, MIT’s campus paper, concluded, “Overall the food was pretty good, though nothing really to write home about.” Although the student reviewer thought the food was expensive, the prices he quoted sounded average to me; here in the D.C. area, a $7.50 hamburger is not unusual. Reviews on Yelp.com confirm my impression that this place is a stop, not a destination. Still, it sounds like the kind of place where you go once just so you can say that you’ve been.
A tip of the toque to the Serious Eats blog, where I found this story.
Photo: Scott Beale/Laughing Squid
Chemistry Newsbytes
Apr
29
29
Posted by Bethany Halford and Lisa Jarvis on April 29, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Reproducing the experiment no one ever seems to tire of, 1,500 poncho-clad Belgian students simultaneously dump Mentos into Diet Coke. Telegraph
Home brew for your car (or how to fill up your tank in your backyard). NY Times
Not enough scientists to go around? Attrition strikes the Indian pharma industry. Hindu Business Line
Element collector turns hobby into a career. Boston Globe
Venemous sea snail spits out powerful anesthetics and pain killers. The Guardian
Oil-based paints are 800 years older than originally thought. LA Times
A peek at K. C. Nicolaou’s new book. San Diego Union-Tribune
Has the Wicked Witch of the West got a bone to pick with Lawrence Livermore? A rare breed of poppies is exploding at the national lab’s Site 300. Contra Costa Times
Well, If It’s For Science …
Apr
29
29
Posted by Corinne Marasco on April 29, 2008 in Chemistry and Food
“Wanted: Women to eat chocolate for a year” reads the headline on this story at CNN.com. Scientists at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, are looking for 150 women to eat chocolate every day for a year. The objective is to determine whether a natural compound in cocoa could cut the risk of heart disease among women with diabetes.
According to the story, “A Belgian confectionist has created the special chocolate bar containing high levels of flavonoids–a plant compound that has been shown to reduce heart risk factors–to be used in the experiment. Soy, another natural source of flavonoids, has also been added to the bar.”
Researchers are looking for postmenopausal women under the age of 70 to participate in the study. The women will have their risk of heart disease tested five times during the year to see whether change occurs. Aedin Cassidy, who is heading up the research, says the scientists hope to show that adding flavonoids to women’s diets will provide additional protection from heart disease.
Impressions Of China
Apr
28
28
Posted by Rachel Pepling on April 28, 2008 in The Editor's Blog
From Deputy Editor-In-Chief Maureen Rouhi’s editorial this week:
On my first visit to China two weeks ago, fascinating contrasts greeted my arrival. Traveling to the center of Shanghai from Pudong International Airport on a maglev train that reached a peak speed of 430 km per hour, I zoomed past a rural landscape of vegetable fields and simple houses along narrow streets traversed by people on foot or bicycle. Within the premises of the modern headquarters of a pharmaceutical chemical producer, I watched women tending a lawn by hand, removing the stray broadleaf weeds that were marring the uniformity of the tall, straight grass.
A bad experience, however, marked my departure. Air China canceled flight 933 to Beijing. The botched handling of the situation turned what should have been only an inconvenience into mob-behavior-inducing chaos, causing many passengers to resolve never again to fly with Air China. Reputation can be so easily damaged.
Read the rest of the editorial
Where Have All the Periodic Tables Gone?
Apr
25
25
Posted by Lisa Jarvis on April 25, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
On a stroll through a flea market in my neighborhood last weekend, I happened upon a tiny treasure in a bin of old books. “Wonders of Science: A Pictorial Story of Science and Invention,” is a guide through the “wonderland of science” that was the Franklin Institute in
Chemistry Newsbytes
Apr
25
25
Posted by Bethany Halford and Lisa Jarvis on April 25, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Turning those dirty diapers into roof tiles: Britain gets its first nappy recycling plant. The Guardian
Out: The low-carb diet. In: The low-carbon diet. LA Times
MIT students dig into the controversial theory of concrete pyramids. Boston Globe
Risk of depression dogs antiaddiction meds. Associated Press
Protein study shows that at a T. Rex family reunion, you’d be more likely to find chickens than lizards. Washington Post
University of Michigan picks up a slew of ex-Pfizer scientists. MLive
Bugs use plants as telephones. Live Science
Fun with science mnemonics. Drug Monkey
Take Your Kid To Work Day
Apr
24
24
Posted by Bethany Halford on April 24, 2008 in Uncategorized
Have you noticed today that some of your coworkers are shorter than usual? Today is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, and kids all over the country are heading off to work with Mom and Dad.
So what are the children of C&EN and ACS staff up to today? Writing science concentrates? Checking over Rudy’s editorial? Reviewing PRF grant applications?
Of course not. The lucky kids at ACS are doing chemistry experiments. This year, they’re studying acids and bases by testing solutions of citric acid and sodium carbonate with a universal indicator called “Rainbow Acid.” (Anybody know what this stuff is? The MSDS sheet just says it’s “a proprietary mixture of acid-base indicators.”)
Ten-year-old Sabrina Carrillo, daughter of C&EN Online’s Luis Carrillo (that’s them on the left in the picture below), tells C&ENtral Science, “It was awesome doing all the experiments. It’s fun to learn about science.” Sabrina says she’s even thinking about becoming a scientist when she grows up. Or a lawyer.
So, what are the kids up to at your workplace?
Tiny Bubbles At The NYAS
Apr
23
23
Posted by Lisa Jarvis on April 23, 2008 in Chemistry and Food, Uncategorized
Ah, champagne. The sparkly, bubbly, goodness is my favorite summertime drink. It’s not so bad for toasting special occasions, either. Or as an aperitif before a large meal. Or mixed with orange juice at brunch. Okay, let’s be honest, I would pretty much drink it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if it was acceptable (and I was in a different tax bracket).
*Effervescence is promoted by cellulose fibers stuck to the wall of your glass. Yes, dust is the source of that sparkly goodness.
Sticky Reminders
Apr
23
23
Posted by Carmen Drahl on April 23, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere, Ripped From the Pages
I’ll admit that I don’t actively seek out fascinating references to chemistry after work hours. But there are times when I get subtle reminders of its omnipresence. I received a wedding invitation in the mail a little while back with a stamp on the return envelope that could only have been chosen by chemists in love. (People who are familiar with my graduate alma mater should be able to discern the meaning of the other stamp.)
I couldn’t find this stamp after a cursory search of the U.S. Postal Service’s website, although the stamps Sophie Rovner wrote about are available for purchase. Anybody know where to get my hands on this one?
A couple of impressions (and sorry about the poor picture quality):
I didn’t check to see whether the volumetric flask was filled properly, but I probably should have.
Is that enormous flask still called an Erlenmeyer flask? I’ve never seen one that looks like that.
If I were to put that (really full!) round-bottom flask on the rot. evap., I’d be concerned about it bumping and spilling everywhere, particularly if it contains an intermediate that’s 14 steps deep in my natural product synthesis. Of course, I don’t know what solvent is in the flask, and I’ve seen people just hook up a full flask anyway. Thoughts?
**Updated 4/25/08
Avid “C&ENtral Science” reader Corinne Marasco pointed out that this particular stamp dates to 1976, and that interested parties can find them on eBay. We’re guessing the stamps are still worth only 13 cents as far as the post office is concerned, though. Geek-chic costs extra.
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