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In many ways, chewing gum is a perfect example of modern chemistry at work. We see miracles of polymers in our everyday life,from plastic bottles to innovative packaging designs. Have you ever considered all the wonderful science behind such a fun food product like chewing gum?  For many years,chicle was the main ingredient in gum base. However,manufacturers eventually began looking for a less expensive alternative to this natural product obtained from the latex of some trees. For most of the present manufacturers,gum base is created using synthetic rubber that has proven to be cheaper to produce,easier to manufacture and even more effective as a base for chewing gum products. One of these is styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). It is a copolymer of styrene and butadiene used for many purposes such as car tires. Other rubber bases used are polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate.  While gum base makes chewing gum sticky and chewy,all the other substances we see in gum are what makes gum a p

The trend towards banning plastic shopping bags comes in the wake of new findings regarding the harm and extent of plastic in our environment. Since plastic is non - biodegradable,it ends up either in landfills or as litter on landscape or oceans. It can take hundreds of years to decompose and releases toxins into the soil and water in the process. Alternatives include potentially disease - ridden reusable bags,or those hard to carry, commuter - unfriendly paper bags that fall apart in the rain and use more energy in the production process than their plastic counterparts. Harmful bacteria such as coliform are found in nearly half of the reusable bags and E.Coli are found in almost 12% of the bags. These bags,moreover,may also produce more landfill waste. Paper bags nearly generate 5 times the amount of solid waste. Still,many people are rightly concerned about plastics becoming part of ocean pollution. But the answer to that real problem is much simpler - ensure that products ar

Finding a cure for cancer seems to be more complex than mastering the physical knowledge and engineering required to achieve a trip to space. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment,doctors still have a lot to learn about what causes a cell to become cancerous and why some people with cancer respond better than others.  Your doctor and the FDA which must approve new drugs before they can be marketed are your allies. As such,they make your safety a high priority. Unfortunately,scientific studies that determine effectiveness and safety of new treatments take time. If you still believe a cure is purposefully with held,ask yourself why a doctor would specialise in cancer research. Doctors often go into cancer research because they have a friend or family member affected by the disease. Doctors are as interested as anyone else to find a cure,just for the same reason - it affects them personally.  Regular medical care can increase the ability to detect cancer in the early stage,bu

It's a tough choice at the coffee shop - will I go with a yellow or pink packet of artificial sweetener,knowing it will add zero calories but possibly contain harmful chemicals or the white packet of natural table sugar because it's natural? Regular sugar is supposed to be more wholesome since it wasn't made in the lab,but there are so many health issues associated with sugar consumption. Artificial sweeteners,on the other hand,supposedly tricks your brain and influences the same metabolic responses as sugar. Plus,it's full of chemicals and no calories ! So which one is the better option? Moderation is the key,both with artificial sweeteners as well as natural sugars. If you are looking to lose weight, artificial sweeteners are probably your best bet. Table sugar and modified sugars could be less safe than sweeteners if you consider that they increase calorie intake and blood sugar levels. But for overall health,table sugar or natural sugar is the way to go,just no