/oss/taxonomy/term/894/all en /oss/article/environment-history-household-products-quirky-science/pyrex-wonders <p>Glass is made by mixing and heating silica (sand), sodium carbonate (soda) and limestone (calcium carbonate).  But, as we know, glass breaks quite easily, especially when subjected to sudden changes in temperature.  Pour hot liquid into a cold glass, and often the liquid ends up on the floor.  However, if a little boron (in the form of borax), is added to the mix, the resulting glass becomes shatterproof and expands and contracts much less with temperature change.  The first such glass was produced in Germany by Otto Schott back in 1884, although there is a popular, but probably apocryphal,</p> Mon, 03 Mar 2014 05:57:55 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2107 at /oss /oss/article/environment-science-science-everywhere/everytime-you-turn-your-home-oil-furnace-or-drive-around-your-car-you-contribute-towards-making <p>Acid rain! Many gravestones are made of marble, which dissolves in acid. This means that if rain water is acidic, every time there is some precipitation, a bit of the marble is worn away. Acid rain can mostly, but not exclusively, be traced to human activity. The fossil fuels that we rely on extensively for heating and transport are the end product of the long term decomposition of plants and animals in the soil. The carbohydrates, fats and proteins that once made up these living creatures are converted into the hydrocarbons that make up the bulk of petroleum.</p> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:26:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1881 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere-you-asked/chemical-composition-ice-was-changed-1949-1950-nhl-season-what-change-was-introduced <p>The ice was painted white. Artificial ice, which is a misnomer since it is very real ice, is made by pouring water over a concrete surface that can be cooled by circulating refrigerated brine solution through pipes embedded in it. The color of the concrete can be seen through the ice which appears a dull gray, providing less than ideal contrast with the black puck. At the beginning of the 1949-1950 season the National Hockey League decided to try painting the ice in order to allow spectators to see the puck more clearly.</p> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:34:16 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1883 at /oss