/oss/taxonomy/term/856/all en /oss/article/student-contributors-environment-did-you-know/licking-banana-slug-will-make-your-tongue-go-numb <p>Slugs, in all their slimy glory, aren’t usually associated with food. But banana slugs (genus <i>Ariolimax</i>) are named after their colour, not their taste. As tempting as it sounds, don’t try to lick one, because the slime secreted by these gastropods is an anaesthetic!</p> Thu, 25 Aug 2022 18:25:55 +0000 Haleh Cohn 9212 at /oss /oss/article/general-science-history/borax-and-slimy-concerns <p>Health Canada recently issued an advisory about minimizing exposure to borax based on some studies that have found developmental and reproductive problems in animals. This raised questions among teachers who use the reaction of borax with polyvinyl alcohol to form “slime,” demonstrating the ability of boron compounds to cross-link polymers.</p> Fri, 31 Mar 2017 16:28:31 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 2383 at /oss /oss/article/cosmetics/how-about-some-snail-cream <p>No, you don’t eat it. Neither is it meant to limber up the arthritic joints of snails. You massage it into your face to improve complexion, reduce wrinkles and improve scar lines. At least that’s the claim. Aren’t the marketers of cosmetics truly talented? They can squeeze a truckload of hope into a tiny jar. The industry tends to produce new products at a frantic pace, but in one special case, it happens at a snail's pace. Literally. Face creams that contain snail slime are a hot item in South America and Korea and are slowly slithering their way to North America.</p> Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:24:40 +0000 OSS 1863 at /oss