Minority Science Showcase
SciJourner reports from the Minority Science Showcase at the St.Louis Science Center. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
Controversy over High Fructose Corn Syrup
Many people avoid “High Fructose Corn Syrup” (HFCS) because they believe it is unhealthy and worse than regular sugar. Fears of HFCS are usually about obesity, cholesterol, diabetes, or even liver damage. The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service found that in 1970 the average person consumed about 0.5 pounds of HFCS, while in the...
An Interview with Dr. Ralph Cicerone
A SciJourner exclusive: A conversation with the President of the National Academy of Sciences. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
Is Bottled Water Safer Than Tap Water?
Have you ever picked up a bottle of water from a convenience store when you were feeling thirsty? If you have answered yes, then you are one of the Americans who combined drink approximately 8.5 billion gallons of bottled water every year, according to the International Bottled Water Association. But that bottled water may not be so different...
Immigration and Living With Type Two Diabetes
Somalia, located in eastern Africa in a region called “the horn of Africa,” is a country that has experienced 40 years of civil unrest. Since 1992, Somalia has had a significant amount of migration to North America. US Department of Homeland Security reports that there are now an estimated 70,000 to 200,000 Somali-Americans. With this migration, the immigrants have...
Expanding Population Eating Away at Farmland
In March of 2011, the World Health Organization reported that two-thirds of the United States population is overweight. America likes its food. Additionally, the population of America is continuing to double every 50 years. On the other hand, according to the US Census and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), farmland is decreasing by about four million acres a...
Do Green Bags Really Work?
Have you ever purchased fresh produce only to discover that it has rotted a few days later? If so, you know how aggravating this experience can be. Infomercials claim to have the solution: Green Bags. According to Evert Fresh, their Green Bags can extend the life of your produce by 3 to 10 times. But does this...
CFLs: Friend or Foe to the Environment?
Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, known as CFLs, are famous for saving energy (versus recycled, as a worst case)–they would add 0.12 metric tons, or 0.12%, to U.S. mercury emissions caused by humans. If repeated for 10 years, this could result in approximately 1.2 metric tons of mercury entering the environment as a result of CFL disposal." On the...
Which Bathing Suits are Tough?
It is that time again for Katja Miller, a high school junior and dedicated swimmer for the Clayton Shaw Park (CSP) Tideriders in Missouri, to begin swimming and diving season. She has her new cap, goggles, and, most importantly, a new Lycra swimsuit. A few weeks into the season, she notices that her suit is fading and starting to...
The Sandman in the Classroom
RING! The school dismissal bell sounds, forcing you out of your nap and back into consciousness. This scenario is one that has been familiar to students for years, and various researchers from around the world are now crediting carbon dioxide as one factor forcing students into a slumber during class time. Among the researchers studying carbon dioxide’s...