You may not have heard of triclosan before, but the chemical is all around you. A recent Smithsonian article explains that “The antibacterial substance, which was first developed in the 1960s to prevent bacterial infections in hospitals, has since been incorporated into everything from hand soaps to toothpastes to mouthwashes. Manufacturers see it as a marketing bonus, [...]
Discovery News reports that “Wisps of volcanic gas, rather than photosynthesis, may energize rare microbes eking out an existence on the Martian-like flanks of the tallest volcanoes in South America’s Atacama Desert. This newly discovered handful of bacteria, fungi and rudimentary organisms called archaea [roughly 80 micrometers, or 10-5 meters in diameter and 200-600 micrometers, [...]
A 2010 article in National Geographic News explores the idea that no two snowflakes are alike. There are “10,000,000,000,000,000,000 [or 10+19] water molecules in a typical snow crystal,” and each one forms when a supercooled cloud droplet (roughly 10-05 meters in diameter) freezes. While it’s true that each snow crystal sparkles in its own unique [...]
A friend of mine has a house just outside of Salt Lake City in Kaysville, Utah. The history of the people who lived there before her peel back in colorful layers dating back to the 1800s. Outside her door, chickens lay eggs, dogs chase goats, and foliage rolls down a long, steep hill. On this [...]
M59 & M60, which are also known as Messier 59 and Messier 60, are two of four galaxies observed in the Virgo cluster. Billions (10+12) of stars are in both elliptical galaxies – which are estimated to be about 55 – 60 million light years away (10+23) while the asteroids observed are in our solar [...]
Here are 65 spice plants that add zesty flavors to our daily meals: Allspice, Anise, Basil, Bay Leaf, Caper, Caraway, Cardamom, Celery, Chervil, Chives, Chile, Cinnamon, Clove, Coconut, Coriander, Cresses, Cumin, Curry, Dill, Epazote, Fennel, Fenugreek, Garlic, Ginger, Horseradish, Juniper, Laurel, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Grass, Lemon Verbena, Licorice, Lime, Lovage, Mango, Marjoram, Myrtle, Nutmeg, Olive, [...]
From Reuters on 7/1/11… “Antimicrobial copper surfaces in intensive care units (ICU) kill 97 percent of bacteria that can cause hospital-acquired infections, according to preliminary results of a multisite clinical trial in the United States. “The study, presented at the World Health Organization’s 1st International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) in Geneva, Switzerland, [...]
Picked up the June, 2010 issue of Wired magazine to read the cover article about Pixar which has received over 20 Oscars. (10+1) Toy Story 3 took just over 1,000 days to complete from idea to finished film. (10+3) To complete one of the more complicated scenes like the finale, one frame would take over [...]