Category: Chemistry/Biochemistry

  • China’s Poorly Regulated Food and Drugs Threaten U.S. Consumers

    When the coronavirus pandemic slows and allows us to catch a breath — both literally and figuratively — there will be an international reckoning that likely will end with China bearing the brunt of the blame. In order to force China to implement adequate safety standards, we should stop importing essential items, especially food, medicine and medical…

  • La Croix Is the Latest Victim of a Junk Science Lawsuit

    La Croix, a popular and “naturally” flavored sparkling water distributed by the National Beverage Corp., has been sued for including synthetic ingredients, among them a cockroach insecticide. This is yet another example of trial lawyers using junk science in an attempt to score a jackpot verdict, and the outcome of the trial has implications for…

  • The ‘Slow Death’ Book that Won’t Die Returns with More Fear-Mongering Junk

    The book Slow Death by Rubber Duck has been updated with more pseudoscience and advice like you should smell bad and pay more for groceries. Read the rest at National Post.

  • We Need a DUI Test for Marijuana

    Cheyllyn Ranae Collinsworth, an 18-year-old Washington state resident, died in May following a car crash. The person responsible was driving under the influence of marijuana and has been charged with vehicular manslaughter. In states where marijuana is legal, car collisions are up 3%, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. Although marijuana impairs driving ability, police…

  • Stink Bugs Could Add Cilantro Flavor to Red Wine

    There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who eat bugs knowingly and those who eat bugs unknowingly. Oh yes, you eat bugs. Even vegans eat bugs. Read the rest at Live Science.

  • Drug Supplies: Track Marks

    MOST of the world’s supply of cocaine comes from just three South American countries: Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. Much of it is headed for the United States and Europe. Law-enforcement officials from America patrol international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, hoping to seize cocaine shipments before they reach their intended destinations. When they…

  • Hormesis: Is the ‘Low-Dose Effect’ Real?

    Though hormesis sounds like something a homeopath would invent, there is actually plenty of evidence that this effect exists.

  • How Chemists Plan to Sniff Out Bombs

    The suicide bombers in the Paris attacks used an explosive that is relatively easy to synthesise at home. Chemists, however, are leading an effort to develop sensors to sniff it out. Read the rest at BBC News.

  • New Sponge Absorbs, Releases Oil on Demand

    This article was originally posted on RealClearScience. As long as the global economy relies on oil, oil spills are a constant hazard. Devising innovative and efficient ways to clean up the messes is, therefore, a top environmental priority. Now, a team of Korean researchers has designed a “nano-sponge” that absorbs and desorbs oil on demand.…

  • Hair Test for Marijuana Proves Nothing

    Detecting THC in a hair sample doesn’t prove cannabis consumption.