/oss/taxonomy/term/547/all en /oss/article/student-contributors-technology-did-you-know/montreal-vs-toronto-metro-rubber-or-steel <p>I moved to Montreal this year after living in Toronto my entire life. In my opinion, one thing Montreal truly does better is the Metro. It’s cleaner, there are more useful lines and even the colour scheme is cooler than Toronto’s subway. But beyond these features, there is a functional difference between the two systems: my hometown subway has steel wheels and steel rails, while Montreal’s cars roll along with rubber tires on concrete. Why did Montreal opt for rubber twelve years after Toronto chose steel?</p> Thu, 21 Jul 2022 00:47:16 +0000 Haleh Cohn 9185 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/how-do-erasers-work <p>These days we are accustomed to pressing the delete key and a word on the screen disappears, ready to be replaced by a few keystrokes. But that doesn't mean pencils and erasers have disappeared. On multiple-choice exams, little circles are still coloured in with pencils and if a mistake is made, an eraser is needed. Let's glimpse into their history...</p> Thu, 09 Jun 2022 20:52:06 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9132 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/i-keep-hearing-isobutylene-newswhat-heck-it <p>An explosion and fire at a <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/One-dead-two-injured-in-Crosby-plant-explosion-13736724.php#photo-17164118">Texas chemical plant</a> fuelled by the extremely flammable gas isobutylene has killed one employee and left the public wondering why such a dangerously flammable gas is produced in such large quantities.</p> <p>Isobutylene (also called 2-methylpropene, isobutene, and γ-butylene because chemists aren’t wonderful at sticking to a one naming system) is a colourless, gaseous hydrocarbon at room temperature.</p> Fri, 05 Apr 2019 14:43:01 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7694 at /oss /oss/article/health/are-vegetables-grown-tire-gardens-safe-eat <p><span>When it comes to chemical composition, tires are extremely complex. Different kinds of rubber, carbon black, vulcanizing agents, antioxidants, antiozonants, polymerization accelerators, plasticizers, oils and solvents are all components of tires. Roughly 5% of the weight of a tire is made up of “processing chemicals.”  When tires are burned, these chemicals can be released, and even more nasties form as a result of their combustion. However, a tire that lies dormant in the back yard is not being incinerated.</span></p> Thu, 02 Aug 2018 18:18:33 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7201 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-environment/latex-emitting-dandelions <p>Ever snap off a dandelion head and see the white liquid seeping out from the stem? It turns out that fluid isn’t sap or poison, but a defense mechanism, in the form of latex! The Lithuanian word for dandelions is ‘pienė’, which literally translates to milky, for the white liquid. Latex is produced by cells called laticifers, which exist in more than 20 000 plant species, as well as some fungi. Dandelions are fairly special though, as only 6% of temperate plants produce latex, versus 14% of tropical ones.</p> <hr /> <p><a href="http://twitter.com/adamcvean">@AdaMcVean</a></p> Tue, 30 May 2017 19:16:13 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2502 at /oss