Chemicals

Cameras

Instant Smoke Drops Add Magic To Your Photos

12:45PM January 29, 2012 | Andrew Liszewski

Unless you’re a master at 3D and compositing, digitally adding smoke to a photo is a lot harder than adding it practically while you’re shooting. And with these instant smoke drops, you can easily create plumes without burning your studio down. More »


Science

The Chemical That Makes Food Fresh For Forever

5:30AM August 17, 2011 | Kat Hannaford

Discovered by accident, the naturally occurring bisin preservative could be injected into our foodstuffs as soon as it gets the thumb’s up from regulators. And then, there’d be no need to throw food out, as shelf-life is prolonged by years. More »


News

Brazilian Ranchers Using Agent Orange To Illegally Clear Rainforests

2:18AM July 7, 2011 | Adrian Covert

Agent Orange is a forest-clearing herbicide that killed over 400,000 people during the Vietnam War. Almost 40 years later, ranchers in the Amazon region of Brazil are still using the substance to illegally clear out 440 acres of rainforest. More »


Science

Industrial Chemicals Threaten Boobs

4:30AM June 23, 2011 | Lily Newman

Breasts are under attack! New research shows that some industrial chemicals may affect breast development in a number of problematic ways. Early exposure could impact lactation, increase risk of breast cancer and “disrupt breast development.” Egads. More »


Science

Kids Can Now Play With No-Chemicals Chemistry Sets

1:40AM April 27, 2011 | Kat Hannaford

What’s a chemistry set without the chemicals? Seemingly, $US21.88 worth of plastic tools and test tubes. The set has “60 fun activities with no chemicals”, based on stuff you can grab from kitchen cabinets, though if they’re suggesting kids should try mixing water with milk and a teabag, there are going to be a lot of unhappy sprogs out there. And beaming parents who just had a cup of tea made for them in a beaker. [Amazon via C&EN via Boing Boing via CrunchGear]


Science

The ‘Blueberries’ You’re Eating Might Be Made Out Of Chemicals

12:20PM January 25, 2011 | Sam Biddle

Blueberries! They’re good for you! High in antioxidants! Delicious! Except when they’re made out of “sugar, corn syrup, starch, hydrogenated oil, artificial flavours and artificial food dye blue No. 2 and red No. 40″, as found in a new report. More »


Gadgets

Budding Molecular Cuisine Chefs Take Note…

10:00AM January 24, 2011 | Jack Loftus

…for Think Geek has a Molecular Cuisine Starter Kit that should get you well on the way toward that coveted sous chef job at Alinea you’ve been eyeing ever since Chez Gizmodo’s Taste Test. More »


Gadgets

The Dirty Toxic Secret Behind Our Disposable Gadgets

3:40PM November 10, 2010 | Sam Biddle

No piece of electronics lasts forever, craftsmanship aside. But it might be the case that some devices we buy are meant for an early grave—so we can upgrade. And who pays the price? Maybe, the entire planet does. More »


Factory Workers Poisoned While Building iPhone Screens (Again)

10:28AM October 26, 2010 | Sam Biddle

Australia’s ABC News reports that for the second time this year, factory workers allegedly assembling displays for Apple devices have been sickened by exposure to n-hexane, a harmful chemical. “My hands were numb. I could hardly walk,” says one worker. More »


Science

Hungary’s Toxic Sludge Viewed From Space

3:40AM October 13, 2010 | Kyle VanHemert

With workers racing to build emergency dams in an effort to prevent a second catastrophe, new satellite imagery from NASA shows the horrifying scale of the toxic sludge spill that has killed eight and inundated three villages in Hungary. More »