/oss/taxonomy/term/2209/all en /oss/article/history-general-science/how-celluloid-produced-great-billiard-balls-fire <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article706869.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>I have a set of billiard balls sitting on my desk in a box with a partially torn label on which the words “Hyatt” and “Billiard Ball Company” are clearly visible. That makes these balls, purchased years ago in Warrensburg, N.Y., at what is reputed to be the largest garage sale in the world, a historic item. However, I wasn’t sure exactly how historic. And that started me on an interesting exploratory journey.</p> Fri, 31 Jan 2025 20:25:04 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10242 at /oss /oss/article/history-did-you-know-general-science/male-musk-deer-owes-gratitude-chemistry <p>Arab perfumers in the sixth century were the first to discover that diluting the obnoxious smelling dried contents of the little pod found near the anus of the male Asian musk deer not only resulted in a pleasant odour, but when added to perfumes allowed the scent to linger longer. Musk was even incorporated into the mortar of important buildings so that it would waft a pleasant smell into the air. There was even a belief that the aroma had aphrodisiac qualities and would therefore enhance the pleasure of activities that might be engaged in.</p> Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:01:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10239 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/gummi-bears-jell-o-and-king-kongs-poop-have-thing-common <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article673329.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>What do King Kong’s poop, Gummi Bears and Jell-O have in common? They all feature a substance produced by heating an acidified extract of animal bones or skin referred to as “hydrolyzed collagen” but better known as “gelatin.”</p> Fri, 17 Jan 2025 20:17:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10232 at /oss /oss/article/technology-did-you-know-general-science/dangers-mirror-life <p>One of the better-known episodes of the original <i>Star Trek </i>series is called “Mirror, Mirror” and it dramatizes a freak transporter accident which sends Kirk, Uhura, Bones, and Scotty to an alternate universe. Their mirror universe colleagues on the <i>Enterprise</i> are greedy, violent, and bent on conquest. And Mirror Universe Spock sports a goatee, so we know he’s evil.</p> Fri, 10 Jan 2025 18:40:42 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10224 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-did-you-know-general-science/lactose-free-milk <p>Ice cream, milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, butter and all other dairy products haunt the dreams of people with lactose intolerance. Over 68% of the world’s population has some degree of lactose malabsorption which is the inability to properly digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy products. Until the introduction of lactose-free milk, these unfortunate souls had to take Lactaid pills just to be able to indulge in some of their favourite treats.</p> Fri, 03 Jan 2025 02:08:44 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10218 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/smelly-truth-about-fragrances <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article561182.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Can a “fragrance-free” product have a smell? Absolutely. Can an “unscented” product contain any ingredients that have a smell? Yes. It’s all a matter of semantics, although there are no universally recognized definitions here.</p> Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:38:53 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10198 at /oss /oss/article/history-did-you-know-general-science/it-all-comes-out-wash <p>Unless you are in the habit of reading the ingredients list on your laundry detergent, you are not likely to be familiar with sodium carbonate. Yet this industrial chemical of great importance has a fascinating history. So important that in 1775 the French Academy of Sciences offered a prize to anyone who could develop an efficient process for producing this substance, commonly known as “soda.” </p> Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:11:46 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10195 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-did-you-know-general-science/turns-out-you-cant-let-cold <p>I’m sure you have been told or have even been the one to tell someone to “close the door” because they were “letting the cold in”. While efforts to keep the house warm are noble, the advice is not supported by science. Cold cannot be let in because it doesn’t exist! Well, sort of.</p> Fri, 29 Nov 2024 15:20:43 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10182 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/acrylic-fingernails-harbour-interesting-chemistry <p>I was queried via email “if there are chemicals in acrylic fingernails.” I imagine the question was really about the safety of the ingredients because for many the term chemical has become synonymous with toxic substance. Well, yes there are chemicals in acrylic fingernails, just like in everything except in a vacuum. As far as safety goes, it is possible to have an adverse reaction to some of the ingredients but that is not common. What there is for sure in acrylic fingernails is a lot of interesting chemistry.</p> Wed, 20 Nov 2024 21:17:57 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10169 at /oss /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