Bøger af Joe Schwarcz

"In this new collection of bite-size pop science essays, bestselling author, chemistry professor, and radio broadcaster Dr. Joe Schwarcz shows that you can find science virtually anywhere you look. And the closer you look, the more fascinating it becomes. In this volume, we look through our magnifying glass at maraschino cherries, frizzy hair, duct tape, pickle juice, yellow school buses, aphrodisiacs, dental implants, and bull testes. If those don't tickle your fancy, how about aconite murders, shot towers, book smells, Swarovski crystals, French wines, bees, or head transplants? You can also learn about the scientific escapades of James Bond, California's confusing proposition 65, the problems with oxygen on Mars, Valentine's Meat Juice, the benefits of pasteurization, the pros and cons of red light therapy, the controversy swirling around perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), why English cucumbers are wrapped in plastic, and how probiotics may have seeded Hitler's downfall. Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex answers all your burning questions about the science of everyday life, like: why 'superfood' is a marketing term, not a scientific one; how probiotics might have contributed to Hitler's downfall; why plastic wrap is sometimes the environmental choice; why supplements to reduce inflammation may just reduce your bank account; how maraschino cherries went from luxury good to cheap sundae topper; what's behind 'old book smell'; how margarine became a hot item for bootleggers; why duct tape is useful, but not on ducts; how onstage accidents led to fireproof fabrics"--

Have you ever wondered about the science behind Alice's strange adventures in Wonderland, Casanova's experiments with "Spanish Fly," and zombies in Haiti? In Radar, Hula Hoops, and Playful Pigs, chemist and columnist Dr. Joe Schwarcz offers 67 entertaining essays exploring these and other delightful nooks and crannies of chemistry.Investigate the nefarious chemistry of the KGB, the colors of urine, and the mysteries of baldness. Learn how shampoos really work, and discover which cleaning agents must never be combined. Get rid of that skunk smell in a jiffy, and get a whiff of what's behind the act of passing gas. Read about the ups and downs of underwear, the invention of gunpowder, Van Gogh's brain, John Dillinger's chemical exploits, and Dinshah Ghadiali's bizarre attempts to cure disease with colored lights. Finally, discover the amazing links between radar, hula hoops, and playful pigs!Written by popular media personality Dr. Joe Schwarcz, this 1999 Canadian best-seller is proof positive that a little intellectual dip into the vast ocean of chemistry can not only be useful but pleasurable as well.

From Beethoven's connection to plumbing to why rotten eggs smell like sulfur, the technical explanations included in this scientific primer tackle 99 chemistry-related questions and provide answers designed to inform and entertain.

Looking for a headache cure? Try willow bark. Wondering how that ice cream got its color? Could be from bug juice. Giving us the lowdown on these and other chemical phenomena, The Genie in the Bottle reveals the fun and fascinating secrets collected by popular science writer Dr. Joe Schwarcz.Blending quirky chemistry with engaging tales from the history of science, Schwarcz offers a different twist on licorice and straight talk on travel to the dark side of the sun, along with the skinny on chocolate research, ginkgo biloba, and blueberries. Find out how spies used secret inks and how acetone changed the course of history. Dr. Joe even solves the mystery of exploding shrimp and, of course, delves into the secret of the genie in the bottle.Infused with Schwarcz's humor and his fondness for the wonders of magic and science, The Genie in the Bottle celebrates some of the the most amazing corners of our universe-and our cupboards.

Bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz is sure to satisfy his fans with more debunking! In this collection, he separates fact from fiction about what to eat, what not to eat, and how to recognize when the purported science of food chemistry is sound.