Nanotechnology. It all sounds great until a grey goo takes over the—WAIT! This is reality, and, like any reality, there’s a lot more than appears to casual observation. For example, one of the attractions of nanotechnology is the promise of self-assembly. After all, every living organism manages to create its own structure, so we know Read More
Voluntary Emissions Reduction Program Works Ahead of Regulation
Regardless of what the “tea party-ers” would like you to believe, government regulations exist for a reason. You may disagree with the reasons, but it doesn’t make sense to dismiss all government regulations simply because they exist. In general, regulations exist because people don’t do what they should. This EPA partnership agreement is an example Read More
 Richard Gaughan June 29th, 2012
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If You’re Working with Vaccines, Get Yourself Trained!
If you’re responsible for the administration of vaccines, you have the opportunity to protect people from possibly deadly diseases. You also have a great responsibility. If people receive an immunization shot, they believe they are protected. But if the potency of the vaccine has been compromised, they are not protected. That’s why the state of Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 29th, 2012
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Chemist’s Death Highlights the Importance of Lab Safety
I don’t know who originally said “if you want to get an idea across, wrap it in a story,” but whoever it was knew what they were talking about. Here’s a perfect illustration. We’ve all been told of the importance of chemical safety—wearing protective equipment, using fume hoods, safely storing and measuring chemicals, etc.—but I Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 29th, 2012
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First Lab Competency to Be Mastered: Using the Analytical Balance
We’ve mentioned (and will continue to mention) how the analytical balance is an essential apparatus for the scientific laboratory. It’s a basic instrument, and basic competence in its use is essential for just about every laboratory science. As proof, here’s a lab procedure for the initial lab in the analytical chemistry class at San Diego Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 29th, 2012
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Ultrasonic Cleaner Helps Recovery After a Fire
This is another of the ultrasonic cleaning videos we see that follow a pattern. Essentially, a dirty part (or parts) is put in the ultrasonic cleaner, it buzzes along for a while, and either the dirty cleaning solution is shown, or the clean part. Usually not a whole lot to be learned from such videos, Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 29th, 2012
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Planning and Preparing for Disaster
One thing no one wants is unmitigated disaster—although that might be a pretty cool name for a thrash metal band. If you work in healthcare, you can avoid that fate by studying the World Health Organization’s handbook on Principles of Disaster Mitigation in Health Facilities. One of the categories addressed in the document is concerned Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 28th, 2012
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Grass and Forest Buffer Zones Improve Water Quality
Unfortunately, in today’s world, water quality cannot be taken for granted. Sure, everyone would hesitate to drink the water just downstream of an effluent pipe from a refinery, but even scenes of bucolic peace do not necessarily imply high-quality water. Excess nutrients from farm runoff feed algae, which use up the oxygen in the water, Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 28th, 2012
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Some Tips are Timeless
We just ran across an item from the Tennessee Department of Health’s Communicable and Environmental Disease Services division. Although the newsletter is from 2005, some of the notes it strikes are timeless. Specifically, the article on vaccine storage calls out some common errors in vaccine storage and handling. For example, “Storing food and drinks in Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 28th, 2012
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Working in Science? Analytical Balance Competence is Essential
As we’ve said many times, the analytical balance is a fundamental tool with applications in just about every scientific discipline. That’s why competence with the analytical balance is one of the earliest laboratory skills taught. This first lab procedure for analytical chemistry students at Towson University is evidence for that. As the introduction states, “learning Read More
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Richard Gaughan June 28th, 2012
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