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Why are people addicted to heroin called “junkies?”

11 Sep 2021

By the first decade of the twentieth century heroin addiction had become a huge problem in major American cities such as Ƭ֦Ƶ York. The drug was not cheap and some people experiencing addiction...

How do you know?

2 Sep 2021

That is the question a student asked me after I had just finished a lecture on toxicology in which I had described the problem of cyanide poisoning by cassava, a tuber similar to the potato. With...

What is Safety Glass?

2 Jul 2021

Basically, glass that keeps you safe from flying shards should you be nearby when it breaks. There are two types of safety glass, laminated and tempered. The laminated version has an interesting...

What exactly is “Green Chemistry?”

30 Apr 2021

In 1942 nylon went to war. American paratroopers dropped from the sky with nylon parachutes and hunkered down in nylon tents. Soldiers on leave hoped to seduce European women with gifts of nylon...

Here's Jeopardy!

10 Nov 2020

In many households, 7:00 pm is time for Jeopardy (although these days, with video recording and repeats on Netflix, any time can be Jeopardy time). For thirty-seven years many of us have invited...

Radio Beginnings

3 Aug 2020

Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz: Radio beginnings

The Luminescent Chemistry of Lava Lamps

19 Jul 2018

If you think back to the 60’s and 70’s your memories are probably illuminated by a lamp filled with swirling globs of colourful goop that really didn’t shed much light at all....

Chemical Confusion

15 Aug 2017

There are two myths that are a constant irritation in the fight against pseudoscience. One is the equating of the term “chemical” with “toxin,” the other is the suggestion that “natural” substances...

Chemistry at the Vatican

20 Mar 2017

The new Pope, we now learn, once worked as a chemist. It is interesting then to note that his selection was signaled through some nifty chemistry. The smoke signals used during the conclave are...

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