New Chemicals for Experimenters

At The Beagle we're always getting in new products and we add new chemicals to our BenchMark branded chemicals nearly every week. These new chemicals are added, in part, to meet a demand we have from our customers and in part to make available new chemicals for experimenters. This week have added these new chemicals:

Sodium Polyacrylate ("Water Lock"), 40 grams

Stevia Leaves Extract, 85% Sweet Powder, 15 grams

Potassium Hydroxide, 5% w/v Solution (for mushroom identification), 25 mL

Iron (II) Sulfate, 10% w/v (Ferrous Sulfate) Solution (for mushroom identification), 25 mL

Cotton Blue, 5 grams

Aniline Blue, 5 grams

Sodium Polyacrylate ("Water Lock") is most often used in classrooms to show how a small amount of a solid can absorb relatively enormous volumes of water and still remain as a solid. This is the material used in disposable diapers, a soil additive to lock in water and prevent its rapid evaporation from flower pots, and as a culture medium (mixed with other chemicals) for soilless growing of plants.

Stevia Leaves Extract is a substance derived from Stevia rebaudiana an annual plant that has a sweet constituent in its leaves and stems that is being studied as a replacement for sucrose (cane sugar) as well as for synthetic sweetners such as aspertame.

Potassium Hydroxide, 5% w/v Solution and Iron (II) Sulfate, 10% w/v (Ferrous Sulfate) Solution are both used by professional and amateur mushroom hunters to identify certain types and species of mushrooms. When a drop or two of either of these solutions is placed on selected parts of a mushroom color changes occur that are indicative of different types of mushrooms.

Cotton Blue and Aniline Blue are both biological stains and by adding these two products to our line we now have a fairly extensive range of such dyes in both the dry from and as solutions.

A word about our chemical products' purity: The BenckMark brand chemicals are usually repackaged from A.C.S. Reagent grade chemicals. In addition, the solutions we package are made from reagent grade chemicals and totally deionized water. However, some of our chemicals are repackaged from technical grade bulk. In particular our Potassium Nitrate (Saltpeter) is a technical grade material. From time to time our customers have commented on the differences in performance between our products and a supposedly identical product from a different supplier. Recently one of our customers who recycles gold and platinum told us a tale of how his partner had switched from our Zinc, Powder to another brand when precipitating platinum. He said the process bubbled up and produced a froth with unusual foreign substances in it and the entire batch was ruined. While we don't usually guarantee any given chemical we sell for a particular use, we can advise our customers on the suitability of most of our chemicals for a particular use.

Jason Grill and Evolution

A notice from state representative Jason Grill was received via e-mail today. In it he states he is hosting a town hall-style meeting at Park University this coming Wednesday July 16th. It is to be at 7:00 pm at Park University's McCoy Meetin' House (8700 Northwest River Park Drive, Parkville, MO 64152). I will try to be there.

Earlier this year, the actor Ben Stein presented a screening of his anti-science movie Expelled to the state's governor and some state legislators, mostly Republicans, in the capitol building. Stein's purpose was to boost his view that evolution should not be taught in the state's schools. By Stein's own admission, he doesn't fully understand evolution. I hope to convince Rep. Grill that events such as these are real threats and that he needs to display a stiff backbone when challenged by some Republicans' desires to officially water down the teaching of science in Missouri schools and insert the teaching of supernaturalism. Specifically, he needs to be encouraged to stand up against those in the House who want to bring in the teaching of creationism/intelligent design instead of the scientific theory of natural selection. I have specifically offered to assist him and his staff in preparing for the expected onslaught against reason and logic by the superstitious.

To help you understand the issue, it is always a good idea to understand the scientific side. There are so many misconceptions out there that they can be likened to a whack-a-mole game. As soon as one is hammered down another pops up elsewhere. A customer came in the Beagle yesterday and saw an Astronomy magazine cover about the Big Bang. He turned around and said, "the Big Bang, huh?, That's about evolution right?" I informed him that the Big Bang theory had nothing to do with evolution and quickly explained how the former was a theory about how the early universe formed and the later was about how life on earth has changed over time and that neither theory was about how life on earth began.

On our website you can find the paper "Some facts about evolution" that may be useful to those wanting to learn more on the subject.