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No, Newsweek's Kurt Eichenwald Didn't Predict Hurricane Irma with Math
Kurt Eichenwald, a journalist with enormous influence, claims to have predicted features of Hurricane Irma using a climate change equation. A contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a New York Times...
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Gatorade Ad Features Molecule Containing Lithium, Organic Solvent
Gatorade needs a better marketing team. A very curious advertisement contained a diagram of an organic molecule that, if it actually existed, would probably be dangerous. You certainly wouldn't be...
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Chemically Modified Cotton Is Fluorescent, Magnetic
Someday, everybody will be wearing smart clothes. Not just clothes that look dapper, but ones that sense the environment and the body's vital signs, before pinging the data to your wristwatch or...
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Sonochemical Synthesis: Did Life Originate Inside Collapsing Bubbles?
The origin of life is a profound mystery. Once life arose, natural selection and evolution took over. But the question of how a mixture of various gases created life-giving molecules that arranged into...
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ACSH Explains: What's the Difference Between Opioids and Opiates?
The media often uses the words "opioid" and "opiate" interchangeably. However, there are subtle but important differences between them. Tags: opioidsopiatesdrugschemistry
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What Radioactive Decay and Compound Interest Have in Common
What these two processes share is baked into the math of each. In fact, in that respect, they're nearly identical. They both involve some stuff (atoms or money) that is either growing or shrinking. And...
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NYT's Nicholas Kristof Would Flunk an 8th Grade Science Test
Veteran New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof fancies himself an expert in chemistry and toxicology. Chemists and toxicologists disagree. Tags: ChemophobiaNew York Timesscience...
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Laetrile, Amygdalin, Vitamin B17: Different Names, Same Poison
Laetrile, which is found apricot seeds, has been used by quacks to "treat" cancer for 70 years. It works, assuming that your goal is to poison yourself. But cancer claims, which were ridiculous in the...
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Chemistry: Why Aged Red Wines Taste Better
Unlike human skin or electronic gadgets, aging makes red wine better. While the reasons are complex, they all boil down to chemistry. Tags: chemistrywine
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TATP: The Chemistry of 'Mother of Satan' Explosive
The Florida man who was arrested for synthesizing the "Mother of Satan" claims that he was just making fireworks. Uh-huh. Celebrating the Fourth of July early, we suppose? Here, we explain the...
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Chemists Can Determine if Organic Milk Is Fraudulent
It is very tempting to purposefully mislabel a product if you can make extra money and get away with it. But, using isotope analysis, chemists have devised a way to discriminate conventional and...
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What Is a Safe Level of PFOA?
Perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, is a chemical commonly found in household products. Its purpose is to resist stains, grease, and other assaults. And it's been in the news for several years. In many...
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Chemicals on Panera Bread's 'No No List' Are In Its Food
A couple of years ago Panera Bread went crazy. Those high up in the corporation decided that selling really great tasting food was no longer a sufficient strategy. No, they reasoned, if Panera Bread...
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Chemistry Papers Are Retracted Mostly Due to Plagiarism, Data Manipulation
We would like to believe that most retractions are due to honest errors. But a new paper found that most retractions in chemistry and similar fields are due to actions that are much worse. However,...
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'Expert' Kolodny Uses My Chemistry Lessons to Speak on Fentanyl - #Shameless
Andrew Kolodny's lack of knowledge of pharmacology is legendary. His chemistry must be far worse. Should I be flattered when he appears to be copying mine? "Imitation is the best form of flattery."...
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Introducing Dr. Michael Dourson, America's Toxicologist
At our 40th-anniversary celebration event in late 2018, Dr. Dourson was introduced to those in attendance at the Washington, DC gala as the nation's toxicologist. Although this welcoming gesture was...
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What is Toxicology? And Who is a Toxicologist?
Are toxicologists medical doctors? And what does a person need to know to become a toxicologist? Dr. Michael Dourson, aka America's Toxicologist, and Dr. Bernard Gadagbui explain the field of...
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What Is the Safe Dose of Any Chemical?
All chemicals are toxic at some level – some can cause harm at very small concentrations, while others need a large amount before there is a danger to human health. Even water can be deadly if consumed...
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Peer(less) Review: Whither Art Thou?
Peer review, especially peer review of chemical safety/risk assessments, is under assault. Is something inherently wrong with the process of this area of peer review?Tags: peer reviewscientific...
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Natural Lithium in Drinking Water Linked to Lower Suicide Rates
For every additional microgram per liter of lithium in the water supply, the suicide rate dropped by 0.27 per 100,000 people per year.Tags: lithiumchemistrysuicidebipolar...
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