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The Connection Between Frosted Lightbulbs & Bad Pick-Up Lines

21 May 2019

Way back in 1771, Swedish chemist Karl Wilhelm Scheele was investigating the properties of a mineral known as fluorspar (calcium fluoride). He mixed the pulverized rock with sulfuric acid and...

Under The Microscope: Velcro

21 May 2019

Just like Vivaldi was inspired by nature to compose his Four Seasons concertos, the inventor of Velcro was also inspired by nature. Specifically, by burrs.

Under the Microscope: Graphite

8 Apr 2019

Pencils do not contain any lead, and they never did! The mistake in terminology can be traced back to the ancient Romans who drew lines on papyrus using pieces of actual lead, all the while not...

Can Allerpet Solve Your Pet Allergies?

8 Feb 2019

Want to cuddle cats but can鈥檛 stand the coughing? Want to romp with Rover but avoid the red eyes? Allerpet markets itself as the product for you! Sadly, though, it doesn鈥檛 work.

Did you know that some bacteria can eat cleaning products?

1 Feb 2019

Have you ever noticed the message on the front of a Lysol bottle: 鈥淜ills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria鈥?

What happens when water breaks down into oxygen and hydrogen?

13 Dec 2018

The conservation of mass is one of the fundamental principles of chemistry. But it does merit a detailed look. The electric battery was invented in 1800 by the Italian Alessandro Volta who...

Can These Glasses Put an End to Colour Blindness?

12 Dec 2018

Serendipity plays a big role in science. Many discoveries begin with a puzzling observation followed by, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 weird鈥. Don McPherson developed special lenses for surgeons to use when employing...

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