Tag: chemistry

What is swimwear made of and why can it fade and stretch? – in C&EN

Promo image for graphic on C&EN site, titled 'the materials science of swimwear' and featuring images of swimming trunks, water and sun. Full graphic is available at the click-through link with full alt-text
Click to view the full graphic on the C&EN site

Hitting the swimming pool this summer? Swimwear relies on a range of materials to keep you comfortable and prevent it from breaking down. This edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN looks at what swimsuits are made of, and how a little chemistry knowledge goes a long way when it comes to keeping them in good shape and stopping their materials from fading and stretching.

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Six surprising side effects of medicines – in C&EN

Click to view the full graphic on the C&EN site

This month’s edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN comes off of the back of my ending up on tetracyclines for a chest infection a month or so ago. This alerted me to their ability to make the skin of people taking them more sensitive to sunlight. It turns out that there are a number of odd and unexpected side effects of medications people take for a variety of conditions, so this graphic rounds up some of the oddest I came across. View the full graphic on the C&EN site.

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