Fly in the Ointment (eBook)

70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life

Joe Schwarcz (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2013 | 1. Auflage
298 Seiten
ECW Press (Verlag)
978-1-55490-621-5 (ISBN)

Infos

This entertaining examination of everyday science from the fanciful to the factual covers topics ranging from pesticides and environmental estrogens to lipsticks and garlic. Readers are alerted to the shenanigans of quacks and are offered glimpses into the fascinating history of science. The science of aphrodisiacs, DDT, bottled waters, vitamins, barbiturates, plastic wraps, and smoked meat is investigated. Worries about acrylamide, preservatives, and waxed fruits are put into perspective, and the mysteries of bulletproof vests, weight loss diets, green-haired Swedes, laughing gas, and 'mad honey' are unraveled. Even those with very little knowledge of science will come away informed and delighted at those humorous and accessible explanations.

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Hot on the heels of his previous bestsellers, award-winning author Dr. Joe Schwarcz's latest book, The Fly in the Ointment, doesn't disappoint. From pesticides and environmental estrogens to lipsticks and garlic, Dr. Joe is back to demystify the science that surrounds us. Why do some people drill holes in their heads for enlightenment'? How did a small chemical error nearly convict the unfortunate Patricia Stallings for murdering her son? From the fanciful to the factual, Dr. Joe Schwarcz enlightens us all - no drills attached.'

Textauszug

HEALTH ISSUES LIES, DAMED LIES, AND STATISTICS I overheard an interesting conversation between two young women as I was waiting in line to ride The Comet, the granddaddy of roller coasters at Great Escape Fun Park in upper New York State. One was preparing to study in Australia and was describing her travel plans. Her friend thought Australia would be exciting but added that she would never go herself because flying was too dangerous. The prospective traveler responded that she wasn't concerned about a plane crash but was worried about the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis - a potentially fatal blood clot-during the trip. As soon as I heard this comment I knew that she must have watched the same TV talk show I had the day before. While the specifics of this conversation might have been unique, the gist of it was not. Details aside, the young women were involved in risk evaluation, something we all do on a regular basis. Just think about how often we ask ourselves whether or not we should be worried about mercury in tuna, radiation from cell phones and microwave ovens, aspartame in diet drinks, and the reported link between estrogen supplements and an increased risk of cancer. Life often comes down to analyzing risks. But most people do not realize how difficult it is to perform this analysis in a meaningful way. Let's start with something easy, like the risks of air travel. Flying is actually remarkably safe. Since the advent of commercial air transport around 1914, some 15,000 people have perished in airplane crashes. In North America alone more than three times that many people die in automobile accidents every year! You are far more likely f,o arrive at your destination if you fly than if you drive. Unfortunately, traffic on the highways increased significantly after September 11, 2001, resulting in many deaths that would not have occurred if people had flown. So why are people so scared of flying? Because they don't think statistically-they think emotionally. People have the perception that their destiny is in their own hands if they are driving a car, they feel that they have relinquished this control when flying on an airplane. Also, there is a greater likelihood of survivinga car crash than a plane crash, which is another factor that weighs on people's minds. But the statistics show that over a lifetime, you are 100 times more likely to die in a car accident than in a plane crash. Basically, you are more likely to be struck by lightning or win the lottery than die in an air disaster. Flying to Australia is safer than driving to the Great Escape from New York City, which is what the two young women had done. Now, about the deep vein thrombosis. The TV show I had seen focused on what has come to be called 'economy-class syndrome' and began by recounting the tragic case of a healthy British woman in her late twenties who collapsed at Heathrow Airport in London after a long flight from Australia. She died within hours from a blood clot in her lung that had originally formed in her leg while she sat in a cramped position for an extended period. The show also included interviews with physicians in Hawaii who described similar incidents. There is no question that such deep vein thrombosis can occur, but thenumber of people who develop this condition is very small when compared with the number of passengers that fly. Indeed, a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found no association between air travel and deep vein thrombosis.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 3.10.2013
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• Themenwelt: Schulbuch / Wörterbuch ► Lexikon / Chroniken
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Chemie
• Themenwelt: Technik
• ISBN-10: 1-55490-621-0 / 1554906210
• ISBN-13: 978-1-55490-621-5 / 9781554906215