By Zahra Nasser, Chemistry editor It’s a fact that’s likely to turn some heads: composting certain kinds of food waste is not as good for the environment as we think. That’s because some food waste contains chemical compounds that are detrimental to local soil and water quality. It is important to understand the biochemical composition […]
Zahra Nasser
From masala to medicine
By Zahra Nasser, Chemistry Editor To many, turmeric may only be an ingredient used in curry, but there is a lot more to the traditional Indian spice than meets the eye. Historically, turmeric has been used in Ayurveda, a type of naturopathic medicine introduced in India over 3000 years ago that promotes natural therapies to […]
Mosquitoes: born from blood
By Zahra Nasser, Chemistry editor For many, summer means long nature walks and family BBQs. After spending an evening outside with my family doing the latter and being the only one to suffer a handful of mosquito bites, I wanted to learn more about mosquitoes and what makes someone more prone to being bitten by […]
The chemistry behind antioxidants: Are they the real deal?
By Zahra Nasser, Chemistry editor They say: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But is this phrase as true today as when it was coined in 1922? Researchers in Nova Scotia found that today’s apples, although bigger and sweeter, contain fewer health benefits than they did in the past. Specifically, the levels of […]
If you can’t beat the cold, join it: How animals cope with Canadian winters
By Nada Salem and Zahra Nassar, Chemistry co-editors We’re almost there! We’ve survived another Canadian winter. It’s just about time to take off our scarves and hats and leave this winter season behind. This year was a tad colder than usual, with Vancouver (Canada’s characteristically warm haven) experiencing its lowest temperatures in 52 years. While […]