/oss/taxonomy/term/2209/all en /oss/article/student-contributors-did-you-know-general-science/chemistry-spider-webs <p>“The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out…”. But funnily her web remained unscathed. How?!</p> <p>With Halloween having just passed, we saw spider web decorations completely overtake houses, adorn witch hats and even candy wrappers. Despite my fear of spiders, I have an immense amount of respect for them and not for their contributions to our environment. I admire them because spiders are quite the biochemists, and their webs are a product of a biochemical reaction that we can only attempt to reproduce in the lab.</p> Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:22:54 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10130 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/when-science-allows-you-lose-your-head <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-when-science-allows-you-to-lose-your-head">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 18 Oct 2024 20:01:39 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10121 at /oss /oss/article/technology-general-science/oh-bathtub-ring <p>In 1933 Calgon Incorporated of Pittsburgh introduced its flagship product, appropriately named “Calgon.” The name was derived from the phrase “calcium gone,” which was an accurate description of what the product was designed to do, namely soften water. Hard water has a high content of dissolved minerals, mostly salts of calcium and magnesium. Various problems ensue when the concentration of these is greater than about 120 mg per liter. Unlike the sodium salts of fatty acids that are the basis of soaps, their calcium and magnesium salts are insoluble, resulting in the classic bath tub ring.</p> Wed, 16 Oct 2024 19:49:35 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10115 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-general-science-climate-change/windmills-donald-trumps-mind <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/the-right-chemistry-theyre-not-windmills-donald-theyre-wind-turbines">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>The mind works in mysterious ways.</p> Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:27:45 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10111 at /oss /oss/article/technology-general-science/tiny-micrornas-win-big-nobel-prize <p>It may surprise you but when microRNAs were discovered, the scientific community shrugged. “So what?” it seemed to say. Here we are, in 2024, and this discovery has resulted in two of its leading figures, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.</p> <p>How can something be so important to win the top award in science yet appear to be so trivial as to earn a collective “meh?”</p> <p>The reason is that we are an egocentric species. We don’t much care about worms.</p> Fri, 11 Oct 2024 04:50:40 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10109 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors-general-science/why-do-some-people-breathe-bag-when-hyperventilating <p>“Just breathe!” is probably the worst thing that you can tell someone who is hyperventilating. The fact is, they can’t! Whatever the cause of the hyperventilation, screaming and telling someone to just “calm down” may actually worsen the situation. Don’t fret, there is still a way you can help, and it is actually quite simple. Offer them a paper bag to breathe into. We have all seen it done in movies or tv shows but this seemingly trivial solution is quite effective, but why?</p> Fri, 27 Sep 2024 03:59:40 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10095 at /oss /oss/article/environment-general-science/breaking-down-bioplastics-benefits-and-problems <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-breaking-down-bioplastics-benefits-and-problems">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>What chemical reaction developed in a lab has had the greatest impact on the world? I think I can make a case for polymerization, the process by which small molecules are linked together to make long chains. Specifically, I have in mind the polymerization that produces plastics, a group of materials that can be shaped when soft and then hardened to retain a given shape.</p> Fri, 13 Sep 2024 17:57:45 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10078 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-general-science/should-you-be-worried-about-eating-burned-toast <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/the-right-chemistry-should-you-be-worry-about-eating-burned-toast">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 06 Sep 2024 21:30:09 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10065 at /oss /oss/article/history-general-science/arsenic-and-old-books <p>I’ve long been intrigued by the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. The magnificent building was constructed of 60,000 panes of glass, ten times as many as in the windows of the Empire State Building! There were exhibits from around the world that included the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond, a steam-powered printing press, an early prototype of a fax machine and a device that used leeches to predict the weather based on the idea that leeches in a jar of water would rise to the top when a storm was approaching.</p> Thu, 05 Sep 2024 18:23:37 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10058 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-general-science/claims-about-ozone-therapy-dont-pass-smell-test <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-claims-about-ozone-therapy-dont-pass-the-smell-test">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 23 Aug 2024 16:50:20 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10046 at /oss /oss/article/history-general-science/black-goo-blue-dye-and-beyond-fascinating-history-aniline <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-from-black-goo-to-blue-dye-and-beyond-the-fascinating-history-of-aniline">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>During the Second World War, American soldiers carried a first aid kit attached to their belt that contained a powder to be sprinkled on any open wound to prevent infection. That powder was sulfathiazole, synthesized by chemists from aniline, then already a compound of great commercial importance with a fascinating history.</p> Fri, 02 Aug 2024 19:06:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10016 at /oss /oss/article/history-did-you-know-general-science/dracula-enhanced-butts-and-grecian-bend <p>The 1993 Academy Award for costume design went to Eiko Ishioka for creating the magnificent costumes in the hit film, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” Particularly stunning were the dresses worn by Wynona Rider in her role as Mina Harker, Dracula’s main love interest. The film is set in the late 1800s when women’s fashion featured a padded undergarment known as a “bustle” to accentuate the fullness of the buttocks.</p> Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:15:37 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10012 at /oss /oss/article/medical-general-science/studying-organic-chemistry-can-pay <p>One of the fundamental reactions we teach in organic chemistry is “nucleophilic substitution” in which an atom or group of atoms in a molecule is exchanged for another one. Quite logically, the substituted atom or group is known as a “leaving group.” The ease with which a leaving group can be displaced by the substituting species, or “nucleophile,” is variable and depends on several factors including the strength of the bond with which the leaving group is attached to the rest of the molecule.</p> Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:51:32 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10010 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/bubbling-over-science <p>Bottled soft drinks that lose their fizz also lose their appeal. But it seems technology has come to the rescue with the “Fizz Keeper.” This little pump can be fitted into the neck of the bottle and with a few deft strokes the air space above the liquid can be pressurized. Soon the bottle feels as rigid as a fresh, unopened one. A pretty convincing effect. But does this device really put an end to the disappointment of finding a flat beverage in the fridge? I’ll let that question simmer while we take a little detour into the fascinating world of bubbles.</p> Tue, 09 Jul 2024 02:43:13 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9997 at /oss /oss/article/history-general-science-reviews/pick-card-any-card <p>The curtain went up in “Heller’s Wonder Theatre” on Broadway to reveal a blindfolded lady comfortably seated center stage. A volunteer from the audience was solicited to “pick a card, any card!” She did so, thinking of course that it was a free choice. It wasn’t. Robert Heller, the premier American magician of the mid 19th century, was highly skilled at “forcing” a card. There was nothing really novel about that, but his revelation of the selected card was truly innovative. Heller resorted to chemical magic!</p> Wed, 26 Jun 2024 22:59:16 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9988 at /oss