Scholarship students sitting their chemistry exam at the end of last year were asked to explain the reaction process that takes place in a date-rape drug. In the NCEA exam administered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) students were told rohypnol, commonly known as roofies, was a "controversial sedative which has sometimes been used to spike people's drinks". An NZQA spokeswoman said the exam papers were written by a team including experienced teachers who were currently teaching at scholarship level. "All examination papers undergo a sensitivity check and this examination did go through that process." While the question referring to the date-rape drug raised some concern during the screening process, it was deemed appropriate and published because most of the students sitting the exam would be 18. "The candidates sitting the examination are considered the brightest senior secondary school chemistry students. The question and answer did not involve or require any value judgment being made, and no information about the making of the drug was provided," an NZQA spokeswoman said. While no complaints had been received about the chemistry question it was "noted" by one other person on the day of the exam. Secondary Schools Principals' Association president Tom … Continue reading →

IMAGE:With temperatures falling along with snow, we're smack in the middle of winter. While you wait out the winter months, we've got advice on keeping your windshield fog-free, getting unstuck... view more Credit: The American Chemical Society WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2015 -- With temperatures falling along with snow, we're smack in the middle of winter. While you wait out the winter months, we've got advice on keeping your windshield fog-free, getting unstuck from the snow and even how to make your own hand warmer. It's all in the latest installment of our Chemistry Life Hacks series. Check out the video here: http://youtu.be/cJQ66JvuRaY. ### Subscribe to the series at Reactions YouTube, and follow us on Twitter @ACSreactions to be the first to see our latest videos. The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 161,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org. Follow us: Twitter Facebook Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are … Continue reading →

How do your clothes go from filthy to grunge free? Through the chemistry of laundry detergent. In the latest installment of our Appliance Science column, we look at the chemistry of clean clothes. Sunlight Laundry Detergent ad from the 1920sWellcome TrustThere's one thing that most people don't realize about the past: it was a filthy, filthy place. Even ignoring the people themselves, the clothes that we have worn for most of human history have been stained, dusty and crusted with all sorts of unpleasantness. We've worn them for a long time, getting them sweaty, dirty and generally covered in all sorts of icky stuff. Fortunately, much of humanity doesn't have that issue anymore, thanks to the discovery of laundry detergents. Today, we can throw some socks in a washing machine and have them clean in a few minutes, thanks to the remarkable efficiency of laundry detergents at getting the dirt out of your clothes. Modern laundry detergents contain a huge array of chemicals that help the cleaning process and make your clothes look nice, including chemicals that digest stains, clean the water and perform many other tasks. We'll discuss more of these in future columns, but for right now, let's … Continue reading →

IMAGE:For outstanding achievements in radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry, Katti has been named the 2015 Hevesy Medal Award winner. view more Credit: MU News Bureau COLUMBIA, Mo. - Gold nanoparticles have been proven useful in a number of medical applications. Scientists are developing nanoparticles to produce pharmaceuticals used in the imaging and diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, arthritis, Parkinson's disease and eye degeneration. However, problems occur in the development of these nanoparticles as toxic chemicals are sometimes released during the manufacturing process. For decades, and with funding from the National Institutes of Health, Kattesh Katti, a researcher at the University of Missouri, has been advancing the development of nano-scale molecules, including gold nanoparticles, and has been instrumental in developing environmentally friendly ways of producing these particles using "green" technologies. For outstanding achievements in radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry, Katti has been named the 2015 Hevesy Medal Award winner. The international award of excellence is named for Nobel Prize Winner George de Hevesy (1885-1966), recognizing his work on the use of isotopes as tracers in the study of chemical processes. The award is given annually to an individual in recognition of excellence through sustained career achievements in the fields of applied nuclear … Continue reading →