Rubber cement is a versatile adhesive made from latex polymers mixed in acetone or other solvents. Paul Van Cleef invented the adhesive for use in the Van Cleef Brothers factory in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1900s. It is part of the class of drying adhesives: as the solvents quickly evaporate, the “rubber” portion remains behind, forming a strong yet flexible bond. Often a small percentage of alcohol is added to the mix. Alcohol does not pose a problem, but acetone – a solvent widely used in nail polish removers – does irreparable damage on polished surfaces and many plastics.

Most brands of rubber cement available for purchase today have the same basic formula, although many manufacturers made slight adjustments after learning that the benzene in rubber cement could be linked to the development of certain cancers. However, the solvents used in rubber cement still present many hazards, such as potential of abuse as inhalants and fire. For this reason, as with any adhesive, rubber cement should be used in an open area, and care needs be taken to avoid heat sources such as n-heptane and n-hexane are highly flammable.

Kids have known for ages that sniffing rubber cement can make you a little high, and it has the potential for abuse as an inhalant. When the fumes from rubber cement are inhaled on a regular basis, they produce effects that are similar to the result of alcohol consumption. However, the effects of huffing or sniffing this glue can include brain damage, cardiac arrest, dizziness, hallucinations, and serious heart or lung problems. It also kills a zillion brain cells.

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” ~Woody Allen

Why do we laugh when we think something is funny? And what exactly is laughter anyway? Despite it’s universality, laughter is actually really hard to define. Even the people at Merriam-Webster seem to have thrown in the towel, lamely defining “laughter” as:

1. the action of laughing or the sound resulting
2. an indication of amusement: with laughter in her eyes
3. Archaic a matter for or cause of laughter.

The element of surprise is crucial in eliciting laughter, as well as a sense of contrast. When the brain receives an appropriate stimulus, it sets laughter in motion. More than a hundred muscles are involved in laughing, from facial muscles to respiratory muscles, and is anatomically triggered by the epiglottis constricting the larynx.

It is also a primitive mechanism all humans are born with. Babies have the ability to laugh before they ever speak- researchers have even shown that infants as early as 17 days old have vocal laughing sounds or laughter. Even children who are born blind and deaf still retain the ability to laugh. It is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations.

Laughter is sometimes seen as contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback. In fact, the “contagious” factor accounts for the unfortunate popularity of laugh tracks amongst television sitcom producers, who will do just about anything to make their audience laugh.

The orchid family, Orchidaceae, is the most numerous in the plant kingdom. There are about 25,000 to 30,000 known species of orchids around the world. Orchids are found in all continents except Antarctica, from hot tropical jungles to the cold climate in North America. However, some orchids are found only in certain region of the world and nowhere else, for example, the Vanda genus colonizes only South East Asia.

Orchidaceae are a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. It is currently believed to be the second largest family of flowering plants (only the Asteraceae is larger), with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species, found in 880 genera. The number of orchid species equals more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. It also encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants. The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species).

The name “orchid” comes from the Greek “órkhis”, literally meaning “testicle”, because its root has a similar shape. The orchid has a well-known relative, whose extract can be found in almost every home, the common vanilla plant. What is less well known about the orchid plant is the extent of the orchid plants’ uniqueness in nature. Surprisingly, orchids are fairly easy to grow. Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident apomorphies. Among these: bilaterally symmetric (zygomorphic), many resupinate, one petal (labellum) is always highly modified, stamens and carpels are fused, and the seeds are extremely small.

Scientists have discovered the true identity of a contagious form of cancer that is killing off the once-ferocious Tasmanian devil. This horrific disease, known as Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), is an aggressive non-viral transmissible parasitic cancer—which likely originated in cells that normally insulate nerve fibers, called Schwann cells. DFTD has been responsible for a 70% decline in the Tasmanian devil population since 1996.

Visible signs of DFTD begin with lesions and lumps around the mouth. These develop into cancerous tumors that may spread from the face to the entire body. The tumors interfere with feeding, and the affected animal may starve to death. Scientists are now convinced that the cancer is spread when animals inject cancer cells into each other during their feisty mating battles. Pound for pound, the Tasmanian devil is reportedly the most powerful biter alive today, and mating is no exception. When they are in heat, Tasmanian devils are notoriously feisty, and their duels often involve bloody mouth-to-mouth combat.

Amazingly, genetic analysis of tumors taken from infected devils in different parts of Tasmania reveals that this plague originated in a single Tasmanian devil and has since passed from devil to devil. How the cancerous Schwann cells became contagious is still a mystery, though. However, devils are known to be prone to cancers, and inbreeding has made them so genetically similar to one another that their immune systems don’t recognize infectious cancer cells from another individual as foreign. This could help explain how the disease was able to spread so quickly, and has been so disastrous for the devil population.

While concerted efforts are being made to quarantine the few remaining healthy devils from the infected ones, it remains an uphill battle without an effective vaccine or treatment.

When most of think about bath crystals, we think of frazzled moms trying to steal an hour of “me” time after a long day at the office. However, enterprising drug seekers imagine something very different: an opportunity to get legally blazed out of their minds.

Apparently, some of those fancy bath salts you use for aromatic, tub-based relaxation may contain the stimulants mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MPDV) and reportedly give an even more psychotic meth-like high when snorted, injected or smoked, and can cause hallucinations, paranoia, rapid heart rates and suicidal thoughts. While these salts are labeled “not for human consumption,” more and more people are consuming it, with sometimes-deadly consequences.

At least two deaths in the U.K. have been linked to snorting bath salt. Mississippi lawmakers this week began considering a proposal to ban the sale of the powders, and a similar step is being sought in Kentucky. In Louisiana, the bath salts were outlawed by an emergency order after the state’s poison center received more than 125 calls in the last three months of 2010 involving exposure to the chemicals.

Archaeologists recently confirmed that people have coveted a killer smile since the dawn of civilization. They found mummified ancients buried with what looked like crude metal bands wrapped around individual teeth. Archaeologists have surmised that catgut, a type of cord that is made out of exactly what its name implies, closed gaps between teeth in much the same way as today’s orthodontic wire!

Even Hippocrates and Aristotle ruminated about ways to straighten teeth and to fix various frustrating and unsightly dental conditions. While Greece was in its Golden Age, the Etruscans (the precursors of the Romans) were burying their dead with appliances that were used to maintain space and prevent collapse of the dentition during life. Then in a Roman tomb in Egypt, a researcher discovered a row of teeth bound with a gold wire — the first documented ligature wire!

However, despite all this evidence and experimentation, no significant events in orthodontics really occurred until the much later, in around the 1700s (although dentistry as a whole made great advancements in the interim). It should be noted that in medieval times, specialized barbers often performed dental “operations”, extractions, and procedures such as bloodletting. Three cheers for the 21st Century!

Amazingly, NASA was responsible for the invention of one of the late 20th century’s most dramatic orthodontic breakthroughs: heat-activated nickel-titanium alloy wires. At room temperature, heat-activated nickel-titanium arch wires are very flexible. As they warm to body temperature they become active and gradually move the teeth in the anticipated direction. Because of their high-tech properties, these wires retain their tooth-moving abilities longer than ordinary metal wires and need less frequent attention from the orthodontist. Many orthodontists now employ heat-activated wires in their treatment plans.

It’s enough to make all of us former “metal mouths” seethe with resentment when we see all of these young whipper-snappers with their “barely there” braces. They will never know how good they have it……

There are more than 100 types of chameleons. Most change from brown to green and back. But some turn almost any color, including pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown, light blue, yellow, turquoise and purple. How does this color “magic” happen?

Many people think chameleons change color to blend in with their surroundings. Scientists beg to differ. Their studies show that light, temperature and mood cause chameleons to change color. Sometimes changing color can make the chameleon more comfortable. Sometimes it helps the animal communicate with other chameleons.

Chameleons are born with special cells that have a color, or pigment, in them. These cells lie in layers under the chameleon’s outer skin. They are called chromatophores. The top layers of chromatophores have red or yellow pigment. The lower layers have blue or white pigment. When these pigment cells change, the chameleon’s skin color changes.

Chromatophores change because they get a message from the brain. The message tells the cells to enlarge or to shrink. These actions cause cell pigments to mix—just like paint. Some varieties of chameleon – such as the Smith’s dwarf chameleon – use their color-changing ability to blend in with their surroundings, as an effective form of camouflage.