Articles written by Ernest Capraro in Sciences

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About me - Ernest Capraro

This author has experience both as a chemist and as a teacher of high school chemistry and physics. He is currently employed within the pharmaceutical industry, and holds a Master's degree, unsurprisingly, in chemistry.

Beyond the professional realm, Ernest

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Sciences > Medical Science (Other) Is euthanasia ethical or unethical?: 1 of 25

Long before modern civilization, tribes of hunter-gatherers were the prevalent societies. Their year-to-year survival depended on the group's ability to provide food for everyone. People had specific roles to perform, largely dependent on gender and age. In times of plenty, there was food and supplies enough for everyone, an... More..
Sciences > Atmosphere & Weather Should scientists be allowed to divert a hurricane away from a major city, dooming rural residents?: 1 of 11
In the world of medicine, surgeons are forced sometimes to make decisions that enable them to help some patients while leaving others to their "doom". The decision making process is known as triage, and focuses on concentrating the doctor's effort where the most good can be accomplished. This is an accepted, and even expecte... More..
Sciences > Astronomy UFO contact: Are we ready?: 5 of 48
Is the concern whether we are ready to meet UFO's, or whether we are ready to meet aliens? I imagine that it's the thought of contact with aliens, not their spaceships, that keeps people up worrying. Are we ready to meet aliens? Are we ready to accept differences that not only challenge our science, philosophy, and values, b... More..
Sciences > Chemistry An overview of the periodic table of the elements: 1 of 8
If you have had the opportunity to study chemistry at all, chances are that you've met the Periodic Table of the Elements. No, it doesn't have to be capitalized, but it sure looks impressive that way, and well it should. This is a powerful reference tool, and unlike the dictionary or encyclopedia, you don't even have to turn... More..
Sciences > Chemistry How a candle burns: 1 of 8
Take a candle, hold it sideways, and place its midsection over a flame. The candle melts, but does not catch fire in your hands, unless perhaps you keep it there until the wax has melted away to expose the wick. This suggests that it is the wick which burns, not the wax. But then observe a candle which has been properly lit.... More..
Sciences > Sciences (Other) The challenges of living in space: 1 of 7
Science fiction authors have dealt with this topic for a century now, exploring it in ever greater depth as our knowledge of the universe has grown. Science fiction fans are not only aware of the challenges, but also of the many practical solutions that have already been presented within volumes of visionary literature. "Liv... More..
Sciences > Chemistry An introduction to alchemy: 2 of 13
Alchemy has been much romanticized, and much superstition has sprung up around it. The reality of alchemy is that while the Dark Ages of science swept over Europe, leaving the populace ignorant at best, Eastern scholars in the modern day middle east were making great advances in their understanding of minerals and medicine. ... More..
Sciences > Chemistry What is a polymer?: 1 of 6
What is a Polymer? You could start by breaking down the word: it's made of two pieces of course, "poly" and "mer". Most everyone should know that the prefix "poly" means "many", as in polygon (many angles), polymorph (an organism with many adult forms), polyunsaturated fats (fats that lack an attached hydrogen at many sites)... More..
Sciences > Chemistry How is the concentration of a chemical solution calculated?: 1 of 6
Concentration is calculated in numerous ways. Usually one is best suited to the work at hand. You can convert between different measures of concentration quite freely, though a bit of math will be involved. Molarity (M) is very commonly used in the classroom, and in many industrial labs as well. Molarity is expressed as "mol... More..
Sciences > Chemistry Why water has a boiling point of 100 degrees Celcius: 1 of 5
Water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius for the very good reason that we said that it does. (No joke!) Water's boiling and freezing points were used to define the Celsius temperature scale. It was an entirely arbitrary decision, of course, but setting boiling at one hundred and freezing at zero provides a very nice range ... More..