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What’s in Your McNugget?
It’s no secret that McDonald’s sells different fast food products in different countries. For example, in Korea, you can get the Bulgogi Burger (pork patty in a bulgogi marinade) and a McBingSoo (Korean shaved ice) to wash it down; in El Salvador, French fries are made out of yuca rather than potatoes; and in Egypt, you can order the McFalafel sandwich and Egyptian cookies.
You may be surprised, however, to find out that even the same product sold in different countries can contain different ingredients. A recent article in CNN.com pointed out that Chicken McNuggets sold in the U.S. contain more calories and saturated fat than McNuggets in Great Britain. What’s more, American McNuggets also contain the preservative tertiary butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) and the anti-foaming agent dimethylpolysiloxane whereas British McNuggests do not.
In the article, Marion Nestle, a New York University professor and author of “What to eat,” recommended that readers avoid foods containing ingredients they can’t pronounce.
Is this really sound advice?
Hmmm … What To Watch?
With a huge snowstorm about to hit the Washington, D.C. area, I am pondering how to spend this weekend trapped in my studio apartment.
I can’t do my last minute Christmas shopping for fear of driving. I can’t go out and take pictures for fear of frostbite. And I can’t call a friend to come visit for fear of rejection. One thing I can do, however, is pop in a DVD (which I’ll grab from Blockbuster tonight) and sink into my big comfy blue couch.
I just finished reviewing “Whiz Kids” (stay tuned for that) and am in the mood for something sciency. Let’s see, what to watch?
I visited Reel Science for some inspiration. I’m not a big Sci-Fi fan, so I’ll skip “Surrogates.” If I want to lose my appetite, “Food, Inc.” may be my answer. Truth is, I’m a sucker for a good drama, so I’ll probably rent “Adam.”
Head over to Reel Science yourself; there are dozens of reviews and recommendations worth checking out.
Image: Shutterstock
Bringing Chemistry To Ballou High
Ballou Senior High School is only about six miles from the ACS headquarters building in Washington, D.C., but the school feels like it’s a world away. Located in one of the highest crime areas in the District, students at Ballou must go through metal detectors every morning to enter the school.
Yesterday, ACS staff traveled by charter bus to Ballou to do hands-on activities with the students there as part of National Chemistry Week. The stations included activities such as making slime using Borax and Elmer’s glue.
I’ll admit, I wondered whether these activities were too elementary for high school students. John Solano, a chemistry and biotechnology teacher and science department chair at Ballou, told me that for many of these students, this was the only exposure to hands-on chemistry they’ve had because the school lacks the funding to purchase lab equipment and other supplies.
I couldn’t help but think of the high school students on the other, more affluent side of town, who are doing advanced chemistry experiments in labs that rival those at colleges and universities.
It just doesn’t seem fair.
Looking Back At The National Meeting
With the ACS national meeting in my own backyard this year, I appreciated that fact that I didn’t have to travel very far. But I also wondered whether that would impact my ability get good photos.
When I’m in a new city, my senses are heightened, and I experience the world in a different way than I normally would. I guess that’s why ACS keeps the meetings moving from year to year—to keep them fresh and exciting. On the other hand, forcing myself to see Washington, D.C., in a new light brought this meeting to a new level of satisfaction.
Here are some things that caught my attention:
C&EN Fan Club
I found Murray State University chemistry professor Bommanna Loganathan grinning from ear to ear after having made the cover of C&EN on Monday morning. He and 125 other avid C&EN readers got personalized covers during a two-hour event at the ACS publications booth in the expo hall. We love you, too, Bommanna!
Hire Me–Please!
Desperate times call for desperate measures. During the Academic Employment Initiative poster session at Sci-Mix on Monday night, several graduate students decided to forego the usual research poster and put up a giant CV instead. “I need every bit of help I can get,” said Elliot Ennis, a doctoral student at Middle Tennessee State University, who is looking for a teaching position at a four-year college or university.
Here he is next to his poster titled “Elliot Ennis and the Great Job Odyssey”:
Chemistry in French and German
Laura B. Sole, a senior chemistry major at the University of Virginia, spent 10 weeks in Lyon, France, this past summer conducting research at Claude Bernard University as part of ACS’s International Research Experiences for Undergraduates (IREU) program, which is in its third year.
Twenty two students participated in the program this year, and they were hosted by research universities and institutions in France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K. In exchange, 15 students from Germany conducted research at U.S. universities.
Sole, who is double majoring in French, conducted her research entirely in French. She presented her results during the undergraduate poster session on Monday afternoon, and C&EN asked her to give her poster presentation in French (just because it’s cool to hear chemistry in French!):
As an added perk, hear Joachim Moch, an exchange student from Goethe University in Frankfurt, give his poster presentation on “Single molecule proton transfer studies with helical properties” in German:
Thank you, Salt Lake City!
Looking through the hundreds of photos I took during the national meeting in Salt Lake City, I couldn’t help but think how fast the week went by. I certainly had fun. Here are some of my favorite moments:
Original music by Ivan Amato/C&EN.
See you in Washington, D.C.!
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