Chemistry

A Portrait of a Protein

Apr 14, 2020

By Anna Wheless HOW FAR WE’VE COME “What was the most important scientific discovery ever made?”  The answers to this question range from the discovery of antibiotics to the development of the theory of general relativity. It’s all a matter of opinion, but my answer to this question would be: the manipulation of glass. It […]

Making the world of plastics a bit more transparent

May 02, 2019

By Candice Crilly Derived from the Greek word plastikos meaning “capable of being shaped or molded”, plastic is an umbrella term used worldwide to describe synthetic or semi-synthetic polymers (i.e. long chains of repeating chemical units) that can be molded into everlasting shapes. The world’s first exposure to the promise of plastics occurred at the […]

The Toxicologist

Apr 26, 2018 Altered by Eva Vitucci from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paracelsus.jpg

By Eva Vitucci Over 500 years ago, a man named Paracelsus stirred up the world of medicine. At that time the main belief was when an individual became sick it was because fluids in their body, such as their blood or bile, became imbalanced. Paracelsus was one of the first people to propose and support […]

The Real Risk of California’s Cancer Label on Coffee

Apr 12, 2018 http://www.picserver.org/c/coffee-health01.html

By Christina Marvin Humans have been drinking the modern form of coffee since as early as the 13th  century. It is estimated that 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide. The scientific community has weighed the major risks against the benefits of the world’s favorite caffeinated beverage for decades. For the first […]

Dietary Supplements: #NewYearNewMe or #NewYearNewLiver ?

Jan 25, 2018 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sports_Nutrition_Supplements.jpg

By Eva Vitucci As 2018 makes its grand entrance, so does the ever trending hashtag #NewYearNewMe. This hashtag is frequently used in reference to the undertaking of a healthier lifestyle, and for those hashtag enthusiasts, is often followed by #FitFam and #LegDay.  Shifting to a healthier lifestyle can be a monumental challenge, but often one of […]

The Science of Snowflakes

Dec 14, 2017 https://www.flickr.com/photos/chaoticmind75/35142394270/in/album-72157626146319517/

By Chad Lloyd Flash back to 4th grade art class. “Today we are going to decorate for winter and will be making snowflakes,” your favorite art teacher says. As excitement fills the air, you and your friends rush to get paper and scissors to begin your masterpieces. After making your final cuts to the paper, […]

The Bacterial Life inside your Breakfast

Jan 19, 2017 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yogurtland_Yogurt_High_Res.jpg

By Christina Marvin Yogurt is a yummy treat, but did you know that one of the main ingredients is live bacteria? Is it dangerous to eat bacteria? Don’t worry, yogurt contains only good kinds of bacteria, not the ones that make you sick. In fact, many bacterial species used in yogurt actually help your digestive […]

Coffee Science

Dec 09, 2016

By Sarah Marks It’s the end of the semester, which means a slew of project deadlines and exams. To get through it all, many of us reach for one beverage, coffee. Coffee is complex. Beyond the most well-known component, caffeine, which gets most of us through our early morning grogginess, coffee beans contain acids that […]

Molecular Machines – 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Oct 21, 2016

By Sarah Marks For me, one of the most exciting times of the year is in early October, and it’s not just because I love fall leaves, brisk weather, and pumpkin spice lattes.  October is when science gets its time in the sun, with the Nobel Prize announcements.  A legacy of Alfred Nobel, Nobel Prizes […]