fingernails

A Sticky Story

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:59:24 +0000

The 1995 season of Seinfeld ended with the death of George’s fiancée. Poor Susan was poisoned. And it was all George’s fault. It seems the prospective groom had purchased the cheapest envelopes for wedding invitations and Susan was done in by licking hundreds of envelopes. The implication was that the glue was toxic and furthermore that the tragedy could have been avoided had George not been so tight. Apparently, more expensive envelopes would have been less toxic. Could this episode have been based on some real life event? Hardly.

Do discoloured nails mean something?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:11:19 +0000

Nail discolouration can signal disease. Abnormally white fingernails may be due to anemia or kidney problems, deep blue nail beds signal pulmonary obstruction or emphysema, and yellow nails, while often a result of tobacco staining, may suggest liver problems, diabetes, respiratory disorders, problems with the lymphatic system, renal disease, syphilis, cancer or exposure to toxins.

False fingernails have a lot of chemistry behind them

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 17:49:34 +0000

False fingernails can present problems. Some people develop allergies to the adhesive, a variety of Crazy Glue, that is used to afix them. This can result in breathing problems, watery eyes and congestion. The nails are usually made of poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), a flammable plastic which has roughly the same flexibility and stiffness as fingernails. At the temperature of a candle flame, this plastic can ignite in a second to produce a fiery ball of molten plastic that sticks to the finger. So be careful with those romantic candle-light dinners.