Llama’s could help us fight the COVID-19 pandemic by providing antibodies that work effectively against SARS-CoV-2. The llamas produce small antibodies called nanobodies. The nanobodies are not a new discovery but they are becoming more of a realistic treatment for COVID-19. What is an antibody? An antibody is an immunoglobulin produced by the B … Continue reading Nanobodies
Can You Use Board Games to Teach and Communicate Science?
There are multiple ways of communicating science to the general public, as well educating people (both children and adults) about scientific concepts and processes. While many people think of your standard teaching and home experiment routes (and in the COVID-19 era, online learning) as ways of learning about science, there is one way that often … Continue reading Can You Use Board Games to Teach and Communicate Science?
Meet Portia
‘When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young’ – Maya Angelou My name’s Portia and I’m … Continue reading Meet Portia
How do Fireworks Work?
Fireworks can be characterised as self-contained explosive devices which contain a mixture of many components such as oxidising agents, fuels and metal salts. We often associate fireworks with celebration, but the first fireworks were used to warn off evil spirits. Simple firecrackers are thought to have been developed around 1000 years ago by Chinese monk … Continue reading How do Fireworks Work?
Why do Some People Think Coriander Tastes Like Soap?
Coriander, often referred to as cilantro in North America, is a herb native to southern Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia. Coriander is thought to be capable of lowering cholesterol,1 as well as treating fevers, nausea and stomach disorders,2 and is a popular herb of choice in both Indian and Spanish cuisines. It is also … Continue reading Why do Some People Think Coriander Tastes Like Soap?
What Causes Rusting and is it Limited to Iron
The word rust is a common name for the specific compound Fe2O3, also known as iron oxide. The iron in this compound is iron(III), meaning it has lost three of its electrons when binding to the oxygen. Iron and alloys which contain iron are abundant materials that are found in cars, bikes, chains, and many … Continue reading What Causes Rusting and is it Limited to Iron
Why we Need Soap to Clean Dirty Dishes
It is well known that cleaning your dirty dishes with water alone is just not sufficient and so, we employ soaps like fairy liquid and use dishwasher tablets to help us get rid of the dirt, but why do we need these? Soap is a generic term for fatty acid salts, with the general formula … Continue reading Why we Need Soap to Clean Dirty Dishes
Meet Lauren
My name is Lauren and I am a chemist. I am currently in my second year studying towards my PhD in inorganic chemistry. The idea behind my research is to design and synthesise cages of different shapes and sizes on a molecular scale. These cages usually have some internal void space which can then be … Continue reading Meet Lauren
Cosmic Water Series Part 2 – Saturn’s Moon Titan.
Of all the bodies in our own solar system, Titan is definitely my favourite. The reason being, it is one of the most likely candidates for life. I'm sure plenty of subscribers are rolling their eyes thinking; here he goes about Titan again. For this series it is quite relevant as Titan almost certainly contains … Continue reading Cosmic Water Series Part 2 – Saturn’s Moon Titan.
Cosmic Water Series. Part 1 – Mars
First of all, allow me to apologise for the extended break I've had from writing. I have been reading and working behind the scenes to gain enough content to keep us going into the new year. From reading subscriber comments and questions, one topic I haven't really touched upon in any great detail is water … Continue reading Cosmic Water Series. Part 1 – Mars
GlamBlog 