Sep
30
30
Bethany Halford
Chemistry Newsbytes
Posted by Bethany Halford on September 30, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Think you know who’s going to nab this year’s Nobels? Try your luck and possibly win an iPod. medGadget
Former UC-Merced graduate student gets plea deal and nearly six years in prison in meth-making case. San Jose Mercury News
Using acid to suss out metals’ crystalline structure. Popular Science
Authorities in Wisconsin evacuate a three-mile area after discovering bottles of picric acid in a basement lab. Chicago Tribune
Chemistry Nobel Laureate Harry Kroto weighs in on the Royal Society’s former education director. Guardian
Carl Djerassi discusses his latest play, “Taboos,” on Science Friday. NPR
Nature’s political coverage goes to the dogs. The Times
Blogger In The Press Room
Aug
22
22
Posted by Bethany Halford on August 22, 2008 in 2008 Fall National Meeting
For several years now both seasoned science writers trying their hand at new media and graduate students turned citizen journalists have been bringing their take on ACS meetings to the blogosphere. But until now, only bloggers working for a media outlet had been enjoying the perks of the press room.
That all changed this week, when Mitch Andre Garcia, the tech savvy UC Berkeley grad student behind Chemical Forums and Chemistry Blog, was granted access to the journalists’ inner sanctuary. Mitch says his new media credentials haven’t changed the way he navigates the meeting, although he does appreciate the press room’s free coffee and Internet access.
Charmayne Marsh of the ACS Communications Office says that the society is keen to get news from the ACS meeting to the public and that blogs are increasingly becoming a venue for science journalism. Bloggers who’d like to get credentials to the press room in Salt Lake City will be able to apply via the National Meeting Press Center, which goes online before the meeting.
Just having some real estate in cyberspace won’t automatically get you a press badge, though. Charmayne says that before giving Mitch the stamp of approval, she had a look at the type of posts he writes and had a few e-mail exchanges with him. She says she found him to be extremely professional.
Chemistry Newsbytes
Aug
22
22
Posted by Bethany Halford on August 22, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Controversy arises over the C-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin. LA Times
That chemist in Massachusetts whose basement lab was seized last week is considering legal action. Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Meanwhile, a hazmat team gutted another basement lab, this time in New Jersey. My Central Jersey
So if chemicals in the basement brings a hazmat team to your door, what will a nuclear fusion reactor bring? The Wall Street Journal, apparently. WSJ
The chemistry of wrinkle removers. NY Times
Automotive writer taken to task for “chemestry” calculations. Sport Compact Car
How Washington, D.C.’s national aquarium keeps tap water from killing its aquatic residents. Washington Post
Gin And Juice With Harold McGee
Aug
20
20
Posted by Bethany Halford on August 20, 2008 in 2008 Fall National Meeting, Chemistry and Food
I decided to pass up the lure of free beer at Monday night’s SciMix poster session and instead headed for the rarefied air of the 57th floor of Philly’s One Liberty Place. That’s where the ACS Communications Office feted author and curious cook Harold McGee (that’s him on the right), who won this year’s Grady-Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public.
Cocktails-wise, I clearly made the right decision. David Arnold (left), director of culinary technology at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, was preparing drinks for the crowd of chemists and science writers. McGee described Arnold as “the expert on bubbles and pleasure” and the potables he and his assistant Mindy Nguyen served up certainly didn’t disappoint.
Happy Birthday To Us
Aug
19
19
Posted by Bethany Halford on August 19, 2008 in 2008 Fall National Meeting
C&EN turns 85 this year (and we think we’re still looking good) and C&EN Online celebrates its 10th year on the Internet. A small crowd gathered yesterday to share some cake with us, to hear Rudy reminisce about the birth of C&EN Online, and to play a “How well do you know C&EN Online” quiz. (You can take the quiz for yourself by clicking on the “more…” link.)
If you get a chance, stop by C&EN’s booth on the exhibition floor to wish us a Happy Birthday and to pick up a free t-shirt. Folks sporting such C&EN fashions at the booth at 3pm today will be entered into a drawing for a Starbucks gift card or a $50 gas card.
Chemistry Newsbytes
Aug
12
12
Posted by Bethany Halford on August 12, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
California chemistry graduate student steals thousands of dollars of equipment to make supermeth. Merced Sun-Star
Psychedelic psychotherapy: Hallucinogens could be the next big therapy for terminally ill patients. Guardian
Think your cousin is a Neanderthal? DNA evidence suggests that modern humans and Neanderthals are related. LA Times
Paper magazine goes high tech: The October issue of Esquire will feature an electronic cover made of E Ink. NY Times
Best to check your local zoning laws before setting up a basement lab. Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Mercury mystery in the Great Salt Lake. NY Times
Chemistry Newsbytes
Jul
15
15
Posted by Bethany Halford on July 15, 2008 in Uncategorized
Biochemists try to build a burger that’s better for you but still tasty. Washington Post
Water, water everywhere: Now it appears to be in one of Saturn’s moons. Science News
Old bones offer insights into tuberculosis and other ailments. Guardian
No-till farming can convert carbon dioxide-belching soil into a sponge for the gas. NPR
Or carbon dioxide might be quarantined in deep-sea basalt formations. ScienceNOW
Mama mosquitoes use chemical cues to determine where they’ll lay their brood. NY Times
Sometimes false walls conceal hiding places and secret treasure. Sometimes they hide periodic tables. Foster’s Daily Democrat
San Diego students ditch the beach for the lab in a pre-undergraduate research program. San Diego Union-Tribune
Chemistry Newsbytes
Jul
11
11
Posted by Bethany Halford on July 11, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Attention budding molecular gastronomists: Grab the calcium gluconate and try your hand at these pectin recipes. Popular Science
I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? Bioplastics. Guardian
The old man who farms with the sea. LA Times
The Olympic competition between athletes who cheat and the scientist who try to catch them. NPR
Why the cockroach will (or won’t) inherit the Earth. Slate
Older chemistry questions stump students. Daily Mail
Organic dyes spruce up solar collectors. Technology Review
Chemistry Newsbytes
Jul
4
4
Posted by Bethany Halford on July 4, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
If you indulge in a slice of watermelon this Fourth of July, be sure to be nice to your sweetheart. Science Daily
The revolution in flavor chemistry is already being waged in tomato juice. Gourmet
Listen to the sound of Jell-O wobbling. Telegraph
Canada Day bummer for the chemists at Simon Fraser University whose holiday was ruined when a hot water line busted and flooded their labs. The Province
Science of the Stradivarius sound: Is the difference in the density? Science News
Flat screen TVs could have a greater impact on global warming than coal-fired power plants. Guardian
For mosquitoes, attraction is all about chemistry. Newsweek
Chemistry Newsbytes
Jun
27
27
Posted by Bethany Halford on June 27, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Mud from Mars (the planet) could make a happy home for plants. C&EN
Scientists from Mars (the candy company) sequence the cacao genome, hoping to make genetically superior chocolate. Washington Post
Have you got a spare rotovap? Turn it into a flavor concentrator. CNET
Sea spray and tiny marine organisms are cleaning up greenhouse gases in the Caribbean. Guardian
In search of more accurate statistics on illicit drug use, chemists head for the sewers. LA Times
Don’t throw away your compact fluorescent light bulbs–they’ve got some mercury in them. Take the bulbs to Home Depot instead. NY Times
Deceased hobby chemist’s home chemical collection draws the attention of local news. Cincinnati Local 12
Forget Red Bull and vodka. Cocktail connoisseurs are getting hyped up on Agwa de Bolivia Coca Leaf Liqueur. (Can anybody out there take a mass spec of this stuff? We’re curious about which of this beverage’s compounds have people buzzing.) Phoenix New Times
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