The Science Informant
Quick Question
Why is Mercury so poisonous?
I’m assuming, like me, you were always told the same thing as a child: “Don’t bite on the thermometer!” You might assume your parents were being overzealous as usual, exaggerating so you pay attention. But having witnessed the ensuing panic after my little sister bit into one, I started thinking maybe there was something to … Continue reading
What makes us faint?
So a couple of weeks back, I attended my first DR (dissection room) session with some second year med students. Now, I’m not particularly squeamish so I didn’t really give it a second thought. But here I am, desperately trying not to faint in front of these people. It got me thinking: what is it … Continue reading
Can you measure the heat of a chilli?
You may find you find some things impossible to eat, whilst others relish it. Is it just down to personal taste or can “hotness” really be measured. As it turns out yes! The Scoville scale, named after its creator Wilbur Scoville, measures the heat of a chilli in Scoville heat units (SHU). But what is … Continue reading
The Science Informant 