December 2016 Issue

Departments

Forensic Evidence

Open for Discussion: Lead in Your Water: Is Any Amount Safe?

By Adrian Dingle

Drinking water with unsafe amounts of lead can cause serious health
problems. But how do we know which amounts of lead in drinking
water are unsafe?



The Flint Water Crisis

As a Matter of Fact

The Chemistry of Candy

(available in print issue only) 

Features

Flint Water Crisis

The Flint Water Crisis: What’s Really Going On?

By Adrian Dingle

How did the Flint water crisis happen, and what was done to make the city’s water safer to drink again?


Teacher's Guide
Background Information for the Teacher's Guide

Youtube ID: k18vbGwPxz4


Preserving Organs

Preserving Organs: Saving Lives, Giving Hope

By David Warmflash

Donated organs need to be preserved in cold solutions before they are transplanted to people who need them. But the preservation time is relatively short. A recent cooling technique promises to preserve organs for days (instead of hours), increasing the chances that the lives of more people could be saved.

Teacher's Guide
Background Information for the Teacher's Guide


White Head Acne

Clearing the Way to Acne-Free Days

By Joely Johnson Mork

Between 80% and 90% of teens cope with acne. How does acne
form, and what types of products work best in removing it?

Teacher's Guide
Background Information for the Teacher's Guide

Youtube ID: KrMbwDil1hc


No Smartphones, No TV, No Computers: Life without Rare-Earth Metals

No Smartphones, No TV, No Computers: Life without Rare-Earth Metals

By Gail Kay Haines

You may not see them, but they are all around you. Called rare-earth elements, 17 silvery metals are in nearly every high-tech product that is a part of our modern lives.

Teacher's Guide
Background Information for the Teacher's Guide


Thanks to Chemistry

Piping Hot, Ice Cold… Thanks to Chemistry

By Brian Rohrig

Self-heating and self-cooling cans allow you to heat or cool your food in a few minutes. How do they work?

Teacher's Guide
Background Information for the Teacher's Guide