Angela Qian For those who are into scientific literature, the name Oliver Sacks may sound familiar. Dr. Oliver Sacks is a renowned neurologist, who documented many of his patients’ cases in the form of books. He dedicated his life to working with rare nervous system conditions that often had no cure. Some Dr. Oliver Sack’s […]
Soda or Powder?
“2 tsp of baking powder… or was it baking soda??” Have you ever felt confused deciphering between baking soda or baking powder? Many people confuse the two, but have no fear…a science blog is here! Purpose of them at all… Why do we use baking soda or powder at all? The answer is in the […]
Feeling Good?
Remember that feeling right after you finished a run? Not the burn in your lungs or the ache in your legs. That uplifting feeling… perhaps you would even describe as euphoria. Well, that good feeling comes from endorphins. What are endorphins? You have most likely heard of endorphins, but what really are they? The word […]
Soaps… What Does 99.9% Really Mean?
by Yang Lu Currently, the World Health Association lists washing hands as a primary preventative against the spread of Covid-19. This puts greater importance onto the soaps we use every day. You may also have noticed that these soaps always have a little label advertising its effectiveness against 99.9% of germs. But what does 99.9% […]
Molecular Lefties and Righties: A Handy Peek into Chirality
by Flora Guo Have you ever tried wearing a right-handed shoe on your left foot? Or vice versa? From personal experience, I know that this is definitely a frustrating experience. However, this everyday occurrence demonstrates an interesting property of the molecules around you. As a right-handed person, I often take everyday things for granted. Left-handed […]
The Chemistry in Carbonated Drinks
Fizzy, bubbly, and refreshing. Carbonated drinks are some of the most popular refreshments in the world. As you may already know, carbon dioxide is what is responsible for the bubbles in your carbonated drinks. While we love those CO2 bubbles, it can get tricky to handle at times. So, here are two rules that might […]
Shame on Aspartame?
The other day, I saw my dad picking up a few boxes of Coke Zero from the grocery store. “Not again! It’s way too sweet!” I let out a sigh. He went on explaining that it had no calories, refusing to believe it was a cause of his weight gain. I enjoyed the original version […]
Lead: The Deadly Ancient Roman Delicacy
By Chris Hwang Lead is arguably one of the most useful metals in the world. It’s heavy and dense yet very malleable. In the form of lead dioxide, it becomes highly conductive, making it excellent for batteries. It’s also exceptionally durable and resistant to corrosion. All in all, lead is great for a variety of […]
How to Tell If a Coin Is Made of Silver (Without Destroying It in the Process)
When I returned from my trip to Vietnam a couple of summers ago, I brought back a very intriguing souvenir. It was an old coin that dated back to 1908 and was purportedly about 27 grams of 90% pure silver. Now, I assumed that the coin was a fake. I got the coin from a […]
Protecting the Ozone Layer
By Robin Yadav Recently, I came across information stating that the 2019 ozone layer hole has been the smallest since 1985. This really got me interested in learning more about the ozone layer. While I do know about the general functions of the ozone layer, I realized that I lack knowledge of the details. What […]