Questions

sciencesoup:

Badass Scientist of the Week: Ellen Swallow Richards

Ellen Swallow Richards (1842–1911) was the most prominent female American chemist of the 19^th century, and a pioneer in sanitary engineering. Her family was relatively poor, so she had to work to save enough money to attend Vassar College. She earned earned a Bachelor of Science in 1870, and was most attracted to astronomy (as a pupil of Maria Mitchell) and chemistry. After being rejected by various industrial chemists, she instead applied to MIT and soon became their first female student. She received her second bachelor’s degree, then a master’s from Vassar, and continued with hopes of earning a doctorate from MIT. Although MIT would not award doctorates to women until 1886, Richards perservered, establishing a Women’s Laboratory and becoming an (unpaid) instructor in chemistry and mineralogy. When MIT opened the nation’s first laboratory of sanitary chemistry, she was appointed its instructor. Around this time, Richards also undertook a survey of the pollution Massachusetts’ water supplies, and from this the first water quality standards were born. She served as a water analyst for the State Board of Health as well as working as an instructor at MIT, and she was primarily concerned with both public health and applying scientific ideas of domestic ideas—she believed that having good nutrition, proper clothing, fitness, sanitation and efficiency would give women more time to pursue interests other than cooking and cleaning. Richards co-founded the American Association of University Women, which helps open the doors of higher education to other women even to this day, and in 1910 she was granted an honorary doctor of science degree from Vassar College. A powerful leader, a wise teacher and a tireless worker, Richards died from illness in 1911.

(via scinerds)

(via our-particles-are-in-motion)

scinerds:

Two More Elements Added to The Periodic Table

You can now greet by name two new residents of the period table of elements: Flerovium and Livermorium.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry officially approved names for the elements — which sit at slot 114 and 116, respectively — on 31 May. They have until now gone by the temporary monikers ununquadium and ununhexium.

sciencepopularis:

Linus Pauling - Statistically significant social skills

(via jtotheizzoe)

sciencyness:

from Neatoshop

(via plainspoken-communication)

alchymista:

Manganese May Thwart Deadly E. Coli Infections

In a recent study, mice exposed to lethal doses of Shiga toxin, a compound made by E. coli and other bacteria, suffered no ill effects of the toxin if they had been treated with manganese, suggesting that the element might prevent the serious effects of these infections.

Though the study was done in mice, the researchers said manganese may be effective at treating Shiga toxin infections in humans, which afflict more than 150 million people each year, many in the developing world.

Previous research has shown that Shiga toxin wreaks havoc on cells because it has found a way to avoid being degraded by the in the cell’s trash bin, called the lysosome. However, in the new study, the researchers found that manganese counteracts this mechanism, causing the Shiga toxin to be sent to the lysosome and dismantled.

In experiments on cells growing in lab dishes, manganese treatment yielded an almost 4,000-fold increase in the amount of Shiga toxin required to induce cell death.

(via scinerds)

mexistani:

Dimethyltryptamine(known as DMT) is, I would say, the molecule with the most elusive reaction ever.  This molecule is apart of the tryptamine family, a family that includes serotonin & such neurotransmitters.  So, as you can assume, this compound “DMT” is actually produced and found naturally in leaves, animal skin, and, the most important, the human brain. In the human brain, this compound is released once three months into the development of a new born baby in the womb, and once when the mind and body undergo extraneous pressure and stress, mostly responsible for the “near-death” experiences. DMT is also a naturally occurring, and one of the strongest, psychedelic drugs known.  This is why people claim to have seen a white light and various indescribable figures for a brief moment in time before they are rescued from the “near death”. Now, this compound is retrieved in a crystalline form by separating the alkaloid property of the specific plant or animal part through certain chemical procedures (quite simply, it is kind of like cooking). If the extraction provides a crystalline drug as a result, then it is smoked, while the impure alkaloid gummy-ish solution is meant to be swallowed. After ingesting and/or inhaling the drug, the compound reacts with the hypothalamus in an almost instant, and users report seeing their body as they fly out into what they can only describe as the “tenth dimension”, which is an exaggeration of the “trip” they are experiencing. Experiences have an almost exact report of various colored figures and entities, a light that cannot be described, and basically everything that would be considered a metaphysical wonder to the human mind. In other words, the experience is ineffable. Now, in multiple religions, the soul is transferred into the body(while in the womb) in what would be the first trimester, which is when the DMT is activated in the hypothalamus gland. Coincidence? Maybe not. Everyone should definitely read up on this and form their own opinions!

(via wholoovoo)

achiralcylon:

It’s like microsoft paint except for biochemical engineer’s and drug lords.

(via achiralcylon-deactivated2011122)