Chemicals & Chemistry

Avid golfers and plant pathologists normally don't have a whole lot in common, their interests likely intersecting with the frequency of a hole-in-one. But when several golf courses in the south faced a mysterious grass disease that was fouling their fairways, researchers were able to come up with a solution. It amounted to another crowd-pleasing win for science.
Many natural remedies do not work. Despite those who swear by herbal medicines and other traditions that stretch back, in some cases, thousands of years, modern science often cannot verify the claimed benefits. But that isn't always the case. Occasionally, scientists confirm that a traditional remedy indeed does work, and one such example has been reported recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The Environmental Protection Agency is punting a final decision on the safety of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate to the next administration. The lengthy process has been fraught with delays, accusations of political maneuvering and even Congressional investigations.
There's a long history of ridiculous fearmongering -- centering on BPA, MSG, Alar, DDT to name a few -- by environmental activists masquerading as health experts. Today, the whipping boy that takes the brunt of the unfounded chemophobic assault on science is the herbicide glyphosate.
There was a time when the International Agency for Research on Cancer did fine work. It knew how to separate health threats from health scares and if its officials tackled something, it was important. Yet today IARC claims hot water and bacon causes cancer. What went wrong? Frankly, officials ran out of cancer-causing agents so they started inventing them. And now we have this glyphosate fiasco.
Global public health
A team of international researchers, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, recently assessed the share of global disease burden that was directly attributable to environmental risks. Their findings were published in the Journal of Public Health.
Besides making wigs, or perhaps some rather bizarre clothing and artwork, there aren't a lot of practical uses for discarded human hair. But that could change thanks to a team of Japanese and South Korean chemists.
It's nearly impossible to get every last drop of liquid foods out of their containers. Ketchup and syrup are among the worst offenders. Up to 15 percent can be wasted due to such inefficient packaging. But a team of engineers, mostly from Colorado State University, has devised a solution to the world's sticky container problem using a super-hydrophobic material.
We've been calling for a ban on triclosan — the antibacterial chemical in hand soap — for some time. The FDA has finally done the right thing, because the soaps are worthless and possibly harmful. But the agency has taken action for the wrong reason, at least partly. Here's why.
When ACSH's Alex Berezow was the editor of RealClearScience, he frequently linked to Pacific Standard's content. However, in recent months, he says the magazine as a whole has now become nearly unreadable. As its political cheerleading becomes more and more blatant, its standards for science journalism have fallen -- and that's no coincidence.
Organic farming produces 20% fewer crops. An inefficient food production system is, by definition, not sustainable. The authors also underscore this point by noting that “if all US wheat production were grown organically, an additional 12.4 million hectares (30.6 million acres) would be needed to match 2014 production levels.” Extrapolate that out to the rest of the globe, and one can easily see how organic farming cannot feed the world.
Plastic food wraps are pretty much ubiquitous in today's markets. But they have drawbacks — they aren't biodegradable, and don't keep foods as fresh as they might. Scientist from the USDA have come up with a new type of wrap — it's biodegradable, keeps foods fresher, and it's edible to boot.