siderea | Entries tagged with sci

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Hey, chemists!

My social media feed is abuzz with the news that there's lots and lots of FDA recalls of lead-adulterated cinnamon, mostly cheap brands. I am eyeing the cheap cinnamon in my house with suspicion.

Is there any reason that using a cheap swab test for lead, the kind which is used to test surfaces for lead paint, wouldn't work to detect lead in cinnamon? The instruction for testing surfaces is to moisten the swab then rub on the surface for thirty seconds; I'm envisioning rubbing the cinnamon sample between a moistened swab and a pre-tested plate.

Also same question but turmeric.

YES YES YES.

SciShow did a collab with Tom Lum and ESOTERICA and delivered a deep dive into the history of the relationship of chemistry and alchemy and the politicization of the distinction between the two: "In Defense of Alchemy" (2025 Oct 17).

I cannot tell you how much I loved this and what a happy surprise this was. It ties into a whole bunch of other things I passionately want to tell you about that have to do with epistemology, science, and politics (and early music) but I didn't expect to be able to tie chemistry/alchemy in to it because I had neither the chops nor the time to do so. But now, some one else has done this valuable work and tied it all up with a bow for me. I'm thrilled.

Please enjoy: 45 transfiguring minutes about the history of alchemy and chemistry and what you were probably told about it and how it is wrong.

Watch on YouTube

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