/oss/taxonomy/term/1270/all en /oss/article/medical-student-contributors-technology/nanogold-ruby-red-glass-possible-cancer-treatment <p>Though aesthetically pleasing, gold is scientifically quite boring. It is chemically inert, meaning it doesn’t easily react with other chemicals and remains shiny for long periods which is why it is prized in jewelry. But when it comes to tiny pieces of gold, only nanometers long, the science becomes far more interesting. These mini metal flecks of gold nanoparticles have potentially far-reaching applications.</p> Fri, 04 Aug 2023 15:53:48 +0000 Maya McKeown, B.Sc. 9594 at /oss /oss/article/history-general-science/end-gilders-palsy <p>Physicians today are unlikely to encounter “Gilder’s palsy.” But prior to the 19th century this ailment had to be considered when a patient presented with tremors, irritability, increased salivation and fatigue. The culprit was mercury. And the patient may very well have been a “gilder.”</p> Fri, 24 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9414 at /oss /oss/article/history/it-true-archimedes-formulated-his-famous-principle-based-observation-he-made-he-immersed-himself <p>Archimedes’ principle states that any object, totally or partially immersed in a fluid, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. But. it was not the discovery of the principle named after him that sent the Greek mathematician, physicist and inventor running naked through the street yelling “Eureka,” meaning “I have found it.” What he supposedly found was a solution to a problem posed to him by King Hiero of Syracuse who had suspected that a goldsmith tasked with making him a gold crown had substituted some of the gold with silver.</p> Fri, 04 Mar 2022 20:40:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9042 at /oss /oss/article/history/cobbling-together-legend-nicolas-flamel <p>Once upon a time, about four hundred years ago, there lived a cobbler in Bologna by the name of Vincenzo Cascariolo.  But this cobbler was interested in more than just making shoes last longer, he was determined to make people last longer!  How?  By finding the secret of the “Philosopher's Stone!”  Vincenzo had to find a way to make the legendary magical rock that would not only turn base metals to gold but would also yield the "Elixir of Life."  To do this, the Italian cobbler had to dabble in alchemy.</p> Fri, 13 Aug 2021 19:30:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8807 at /oss /oss/article/history-did-you-know/did-you-know-goldfingers-first-name-was-auric-based-latin-aurum-gold <p>“Au” is also the chemical symbol for the element. “Aurora” was the Roman goddess of the dawn and her name became associated with gold because of the colour of the sky at dawn. Ian Fleming named his gold-infatuated villain after his neighbour, architect Erno Goldfinger, with whom he apparently was not on the best of terms. In the movie, Goldfinger was played by the German actor Gert Frobe who spoke no English and all his lines were dubbed by Michael Collins. Although Goldfinger was supposed to be English, for some bizarre reason Collins added a German accent.</p> Fri, 28 May 2021 20:04:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8749 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/you-asked-can-someone-really-suffocate-being-covered-gold-paint-jill-masterson-goldfinger <p>No. We do not breathe through our skin. James Bond seemingly was unaware of this fact given that after discovering the golden corpse he tells M: “She died of skin suffocation, it’s been known to happen to cabaret dancers. It’s all right so long as you leave a small bare patch at the base of the spine to allow the skin to breathe.” That view was shared by the director who made sure that actress Shirley Eaton’s stomach remained unpainted while the scene was being shot.</p> Fri, 28 May 2021 19:56:57 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8748 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-health-news-toxicity/tarnished-gold-rush <p>It’s hard for us here in North America to believe that gold is killing hundreds of children in Nigeria. Well, it isn’t exactly the gold that is killing them, it is the lead oxide and lead carbonate in the dust that is stirred up in the search for tiny gold nuggets. There is no modern machinery here, the miners work with shovels and hammers. They bring rocks home and pound them into dust in the quest for bits of gold that may allow for an improved life. The lead-laden dust settles on everything, including clothing and food. Water becomes contaminated as it is used to rinse away the dust.</p> Fri, 08 Nov 2013 19:44:48 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2030 at /oss /oss/article/history-quirky-science/orpiment <p>Mention the word arsenic and our thoughts immediately turn to poison. But there other interesting connections as well. Arsenic rarely is found in nature in its elemental state, it is found as part of a variety of compounds. One of these, arsenic sulfide, has been known since the fifth century BC. It probably came to people’s attention because of its color. The mineral looks like gold! In all likelihood it was a belief that it did contain gold that led to experimentation with the substance, perhaps in an attempt to extract gold from it.</p> Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:55:52 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2034 at /oss