The Accidental Discovery of LSD
Unlike its name, Bicycle Day is not a holiday honoring your favorite two-wheeled, environmentally friendly vehicle. This holiday celebrates the day chemist Albert Hofmann first discovered the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide,…
All About Gluten
Is gluten good for you, or is gluten bad for you? This video breaks down the chemistry and science behind this controversial food ingredient. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society
Are E-cigs Safer Than Cigarettes?
People have turned to "vaping" with electronic cigarettes as an alternative to puffing on the real thing. But is the vapor they're inhaling any safer than smoking a cigarette? This video examines what we know, and what we don't know, about…
Are We Breathing Caesar's Last Breath?
Are you breathing air molecules that were once exhaled by Caesar, Joan of Arc, or Madame Curie? Why did Albert Einstein try to break into the refrigerator business? In this video, writer Sam Kean, author of science books "Caesar's Last…
This animation shows how a barometer measures atmospheric pressure.
A Better Hearing Aid Using Artificial Intelligence
Neuroengineer Nima Mesgarani is using a form of artificial intelligence called neural network models to a develop improved hearing aids. If successful, hearing impaired individuals will be better able to identify and focus on a speaker of…
Burning Ice from the Ocean Floor
Some ice burns because it's actually methane trapped in water. This video discusses the chemistry of methane hydrates as a source of energy and a climate change threat. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society
Can I Still Eat This?
An estimated 133 billion pounds of food gets thrown away every year in the United States. Understanding when your food goes bad is important to help reduce waste. Unfortunately, consumers can't just check the expiration date on the packaging,…
Can You Take Expired Drugs?
Every medicine we buy has an expiration date printed on it, but does that pill or tablet actually go bad? This video explains the chemistry of drug expiration dates. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society
Chemistry and the Flint Water Crisis
Researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech, helped prove that lead levels were dangerously high in Flint, Michigan tap water, even when government officials denied the problem. This…