Another thing to mention is how incredibly inefficient it can be to isolate natural chemicals. One of the main drivers in my field of chemistry is to devise a synthetic route to a natural product, because the extraction from nature requires tedious (copious amounts of solvents) and sometimes expensive purification techniques (chromatography). Synthetic chemistry has come a long way in optimizing the efficiency of isolation and also decrease the amount of waste products generated from those processes.
Imma fan of the level of dedication you have towards getting science facts out there to the genpop. There’s a lot of bogus misinformation out there to contend with. Thank you Dr Love
These explainers are terrific. Thanks for the clear and easy-to-grasp examples. I love the "side-by-side chart of natural vs synthetic and also your "questions to ask" and striking statement, "Everything is toxic at high enough levels, even water." Looking forward to the rest of the series!
Thank you for the enormous amount of time and thought you put into your posts! I have a practical question: if consumers want to check the safety of various ingredients in everything from personal care products to food, what are the most reliable sources? There are apps that enable you to scan the sku, then tell you if a product is “safe” or “toxic” (and why), but I don’t trust them. The apps I’ve found are created by influencers, not scientists.
I agree that a C might make it clearer. I am not a chemist . Yet.. .. in organic chemistry , by convention a hard bend in a line is carbon . (unless replaced by S or O or P) This is true for the furan ring earlier in the article.
Thank you. These articles are a real public service which should receive widespread distribution. Reminds me of the Carl Sagan quote about science as a candle in the darkness. Thanks for being a source of light!
Thank you for the time and effort you put into these posts, Dr. Love. I appreciate your work.
Another thing to mention is how incredibly inefficient it can be to isolate natural chemicals. One of the main drivers in my field of chemistry is to devise a synthetic route to a natural product, because the extraction from nature requires tedious (copious amounts of solvents) and sometimes expensive purification techniques (chromatography). Synthetic chemistry has come a long way in optimizing the efficiency of isolation and also decrease the amount of waste products generated from those processes.
Chemistry is just frigging amazing !
Imma fan of the level of dedication you have towards getting science facts out there to the genpop. There’s a lot of bogus misinformation out there to contend with. Thank you Dr Love
These explainers are terrific. Thanks for the clear and easy-to-grasp examples. I love the "side-by-side chart of natural vs synthetic and also your "questions to ask" and striking statement, "Everything is toxic at high enough levels, even water." Looking forward to the rest of the series!
Thank you for the enormous amount of time and thought you put into your posts! I have a practical question: if consumers want to check the safety of various ingredients in everything from personal care products to food, what are the most reliable sources? There are apps that enable you to scan the sku, then tell you if a product is “safe” or “toxic” (and why), but I don’t trust them. The apps I’ve found are created by influencers, not scientists.
The diagram for formaldehyde needs its carbon atom!
I agree that a C might make it clearer. I am not a chemist . Yet.. .. in organic chemistry , by convention a hard bend in a line is carbon . (unless replaced by S or O or P) This is true for the furan ring earlier in the article.
Haha yep it's otherwise just water (or the dreaded oxidane/dihydrogen monoxide if you prefer)
Thank you for confirming scientifically what I have always said. Nature is cruel and all natural is not always superior.
Thank you. These articles are a real public service which should receive widespread distribution. Reminds me of the Carl Sagan quote about science as a candle in the darkness. Thanks for being a source of light!
This helps so much. I can explain things to people in my life who are buying into MAHA rhetoric and nonsense.