Aug
22
22
Chemistry is Everywhere
Chemistry Newsbytes
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
Desirable Philly Addresses?
Aug
21
21
Posted by Carmen Drahl on August 21, 2008 in 2008 Fall National Meeting, ACS Meetings, Chemistry is Everywhere
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| Spotted on a morning stroll. (Photo by Carmen Drahl/C&EN) | Thanks to Beth Halford for pointing this one out. (Photo by Carmen Drahl/C&EN) |
Sneak Peek At Molecules That Matter
Aug
18
18
Posted by Carmen Drahl on August 18, 2008 in 2008 Fall National Meeting, ACS Meetings, Chemistry is Everywhere
Filed by Celia Arnaud
The new conference center and museum at the Chemical Heritage Foundation doesn’t officially open until Oct. 3, but CHF couldn’t pass up an opportunity with so many chemists in town. So this week, ACS meeting attendees can get a sneak peek at the museum, including the temporary exhibit “Molecules that Matter” and the shell that will become CHF’s permanent exhibit, “Making Modernity.”
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The video tower at the center of “Making Modernity” (photo by Celia Arnaud/C&EN). |
Address: 315 Chestnut Street
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 10 AM–7 PM (special extended hours).
Thursday, 10 AM–4 PM.
(more…)
Chemistry Newsbytes
Aug
15
15
Posted by Bethany Halford and Lisa Jarvis on August 15, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Biochemist’s quest to find a pill that prevents poison ivy’s itchy ravages proves elusive. NPR
And the medal for tiniest Olympic logo goes to Northwestern’s Mirkin. Nanotechnology Now
Isomer triggering: new military technology or pseudoscience? Guardian
Ladies, using the pill may prompt you to sniff out the wrong type of guy. Scotsman
Joysticks and video game controllers are so cumbersome. Near-IR imaging technology could let you play video games using just brain power. LA Times
Nitrogen-rich fertilizers are starving the oceans of oxygen. NY Times
Going Commercial
Aug
15
15
Posted by Carmen Drahl on August 15, 2008 in Chemistry and Food, Chemistry is Everywhere
Check out this commercial. It’s for what appears to be a new variety of Starburst candy.
Then read my take after the video.
The first thing that popped into my head was: what kind of lab is this? All I know is that the box in this video couldn’t possibly be a glovebox. The glove material is all wrong, and where’s the positive pressure from the inert atmosphere? The actors are wearing some type of hazmat suit, which could mean they’re in a biological lab. I’ve never worked with high-level biohazards, so if that’s the case, I can’t vouch for the scientific accuracy of this commercial.
Anyway, in light of the discussion about lab safety at Rachel Pepling’s recent post, I thought I’d send it out to the readers and see how this commercial fares, accuracy and lab safety-wise. Have at it, gentle readers.
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
Aug
8
8
Posted by Bethany Halford and Lisa Jarvis on August 8, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Having a picnic in the desert? This champagne icebox uses chemistry to keep your bubbly cold. Electricpig
Inkpads are for suckers: Try fingerprinting with desorption electrospray ionization. Economist
The secret ingredient to giving bullets a unique chemical signature? Lily pollen. Guardian
How green is too green? NY Times
Speaking of green…a start-up wants to develop a solar-powered fridge with no moving parts. CNet
And could cement be the answer to the world’s CO2
In the kitchen, cold is the new heat. NY Times
Will those fancy black respirators actually protect Olympians? Slate
Chemistry Newsbytes
Aug
5
5
Posted by Bethany Halford and Lisa Jarvis on August 5, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
A chemical war on sea lampreys in Lake Michigan. Creepy! Muskegon Chronicle
Cane sugar versus high-fructose corn syrup. LA Times
Mars mission is the pinnacle of one chemist’s career. Boston Globe
A plea for more research institutions in Africa. SciDev
Chemical analysis proves Spaniards do the most cocaine. ScienceDaily
Things are heating up in Ventura County, Calif. There’s a 2-acre patch of land out there that’s topping 800 ºF. LA Times
Cool down in the kitchen with liquid nitrogen. Popular Science
Greener paint in a rainbow of colors. Baltimore Sun
Chemists Show Their Ink
Aug
1
1
Posted by Lisa Jarvis on August 1, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
How much do you love chemistry? Enough to make an indelible declaration for all to see? It seemed worth noting a recent run of chemistry-related posts on science writer Carl Zimmer’s lovely and amazing Science Tattoo Emporium, which a few days ago found a permanent home on Discover’s website.
Apparently Zimmer started the blog, which features science-related ink, after noticing a DNA tattoo on his friend’s shoulder, causing him to wonder whether other scientists also wore their passions on their sleeve. He collected some images from photo-sharing website Flickr and put out a call to the community to send in photos of their tattoos. The result? Well, I’ve put up a few of the better chemistry-related tats after the jump. (more…)
For Love Of Squid
Aug
1
1
Posted by Melody Voith on August 1, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere
Imagine being a deep-sea fisherman off the coast of northern Spain. You pull up your net and find yourself staring into the very large eye of a giant squid. So what do you do?
You get the U.S. Air Force to fly it to the National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C. (You weren’t going to use it for bait, were you?) The Air Force nicknamed the mission “Operation Calamari.” They delivered two squid to D.C.–a 36-foot long, 330-lb female; and a 20-foot long, 100-lb male.
Thursday night, two C&EN reporters were treated to a preview of the preserved squid, which will be on display as part of the new Sant Ocean Hall, opening Sept. 27. Carmen Drahl (pictured) and I learned how 3M worked with museum experts to find a safe preservative that would display the cephalopods in all their tentacle-y glory.
Old-school squid preservers used formalin, not favored today due to its negative health effects, or ethyl alcohol, which is flammable and can degrade the specimen. Luckily, 3M learned of the museum’s quest for a better solution, and offered up Novec 7100 engineered fluid.
Novec has several qualities that make it fit the bill–it is nonflammable, low in toxicity, and gentle on the environment. The fluid is a hydrofluoroether with a low surface tension, and it is usually put to work cleaning very precise instruments, such as medical devices. It works well for museums, too, because it envelopes the specimens without penetrating the tissue.
The tour included a lovely dinner. Guess what they served?
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