The Fly in the Ointment: 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life
(eBook)

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Hoopla Extract Information

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    [year] => 2004
    [artist] => Joe Schwarcz
    [fiction] => 
    [coverImageUrl] => https://cover.hoopladigital.com/ecw_9781554903993_270.jpeg
    [titleId] => 13629998
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    [language] => ENGLISH
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    [title] => The Fly in the Ointment
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    [pages] => 298
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    [synopsis] => Dr. Joe Schwarcz breaks down the fascinating chemistry all around us in this intriguing look at everyday science		
	From pesticides and environmental estrogens to lipsticks and garlic, the science that surrounds us can be mystifying. 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? Where does the expression "take a bromide" come from? Dr. Joe Schwarcz investigates aphrodisiacs, DDT, bottled water, vitamins, barbiturates, plastic wrap, and smoked meat. He puts worries about acrylamide, preservatives, and waxed fruit into perspective and unravels the mysteries of bulletproof vests, weight loss diets, and "mad honey." From the fanciful to the factual, Dr. Joe enlightens us all - no drills attached.		 			Dr. Joe Schwarcz breaks down the fascinating chemistry all around us in this intriguing look at everyday science.		 			Dr. Joe Schwarcz is director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society, dedicated to demystifying science and separating sense from nonsense. He is a popular lecturer, both to students and to the larger public. He hosts The Dr. Joe Show on Montreal radio and is the author of over a dozen bestselling titles. Dr. Joe lives in Montreal, Quebec.		 			
	I remember being quite taken when, as a student, I read Rachel Carson's 1962 epic Silent Spring. As a biologist, Carson made a compelling case against the synthetic pesticides that had been introduced in the post-World War II era. She maintained that they were responsible for fish kills, pollution of the soil, and reproductive problems in birds. DDT in particular caused thinning of egg shells and led to fewer hatchings. Ospreys, peregrine falcons, and eagles were disappearing, Carson said, and robins were being killed in misguided attempts to eradicate Dutch elm disease by spraying trees with DDT. That's why there would eventually be no birds to sing: there would be a "silent spring." 

		
	I was impressed by Carson's book. I thought it was an excellent example of how we cannot always predict the consequences of a chemical intervention and how the introduction of a substance into the environment, although seemingly for all the right reasons, can backfire. Carson made an impassioned plea against putting blind faith in technology, particularly when it came to pesticides such as DDT. 

		
	This notorious compound was first synthesized in 1874 by Othmar Zeidler, who combined chloral (which later became known as a "Mickey Finn" after the Chicago bartender who supposedly used it to put his rowdy patrons to sleep), chlorobenzene, and concentrated sulfuric acid to make it. Zeidler was simply interested in making novel compounds for his Ph.D. thesis and never studied DDT further. But in 1939, Paul Muller, working for the JR Geigy Company in Switzerland, did. He was interested in moth repellants and had come across a compound called "diphenyltrichloroethane," which was somewhat effective. Muller then did a literature search and came upon DDT, a closely related substance. He synthesized it according to Zeidler's recipe and discovered that it was remarkably toxic to insects. And much to his satisfaction, it seemed not to have any effect on domestic animals or humans. Swiss farmers were thankful. Just a year after Muller's discovery, DDT was used to wipe out the Colorado potato beetle, which had threatened the country's potato crop. 

		
	By 1945 DDT was being used worldwide on numerous crops. But concerns arose with two discoveries: the chemical's application caused it to disperse into the air and spread far and wide, and it was showing signs of toxicity in frogs and fish. By the 1950s it was apparent that DDT was building up in the fatty tissues of animals and humans. Eventually, the us Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stepped in and banned the substance. Rachel Carson had played her role.
    [url] => https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/13629998
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    [subtitle] => 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life
    [publisher] => ECW Press
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