That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles: 62 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Dr. Joe Schwarcz

Interesting anecdotes and engaging tales make science fun, meaningful, and accessible. Separating sense from nonsense and fact from myth, these essays cover everything from the ups of helium to the downs of drain cleaners and provide answers to numerous mysteries, such as why bug juice is used to color ice cream and how spies used secret inks. Mercury in teeth, arsenic in water, lead in the environment, and aspartame in food are discussed. Mythbusters include the fact that Edison did not invent the lightbulb and that walking on hot coals does not require paranormal powers. The secret life of bagels is revealed, and airbags, beer, and soap yield their mysteries.

He also shares fascinating stories about some of history's greatest scientists (of particular interest is the inventor of Nylon, who ended up committing suicide, and the man behind chemical warfare, who also saved millions of lives with his fertilizer experiments). There is also a section devoted to debunking health scams and diffusing unnecessary paranoia. These and many more surprising, educational, and entertaining commentaries show the relevance of science to everyday life.

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Contents Introduction 11 HEALTHY SCIENCE Microwaved Socks, and Other Tales from the Airwaves 15 Yes, Scientists Are Allowed to Change Their Minds 19 I'll Take the Yogurt, but Hold the Enema Machine 22 Professor Wonder and Nutraceuticals 26 For Some, a Diet Goes against the Grain 29 Saccharin: From Back Alley to Tabletop 33 Aspartame: Guilty or Innocent? 40 An Ode to the Oat 48 The Secret Life of Bagels 52 A Toast to Toast 56 Gassing Green Bananas 59 Summertime Buccaneers 62 Agitate for Ice Cream 66 Man Cannot Live on Corn Alone 69 Lessons from Popeye 72 Paprika's Peppery Past 76 Bring on the Crucifers 79 Beer Science Is Still Brewing 83 The Scoop on Booze 87 Hard Lessons about Soft Drinks 91 When DNA Come out to Play 99 Frankenfuror 103 The Sunshine Vitamin 111 That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles 114 Coenzyme Q10 Is Worth Remembering 118 Sticking in Your Memory 122 Take It with a Grain of Salt 127 Botulin: Deadly Poison and Fascinating Medicine 130 From the Jungle to the Operating Room 133 The Growing Growth Hormone Industry 137 Strong Poison 140 A Mouth Full of Mercury 144 Get the Lead Out 148 Our Daily Dioxin 154 Don't Sweat It 159 EVERYDAY SCIENCE The Stainmaster 165 Strike One for Matches 170 Cookware Chemistry 173 Nervous about Nerve Gas 176 How Many People Does It Take to Invent a Lightbulb? 179 A Run on Stockings 183 A Rubber Match 186 Oobleck and Beyond 190 The Eyes Have It 193 From Torpedoes to Airbags 197 Soap Story 200 Detergents and Drowning Fleas 204 Untangling the Web of Spider Lore 207 A Bolt out of the Blue 210 LOOKING BACK A Fair to Remember 215 Lydia Pinkham to the Rescue 218 Mauving On 222 Creator of Good and Evil 226 The Dark Side of Radium's Glow 229 The Faraday Effect 232 From Alchemist to Scientist 237 POPPYCOCK Not Too Hot to Handle 241 True Deceptions 245 Medicine and Malarkey 249 Pi Water and Erect Electrons 253 Hogwash and Balderdash 255 Hucksters Selling Health 258 Index 265

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