Tom Gurn

Jan 1, 2025 | particle.scitech.org.au | Tom Gurn

What is fluoride and why is it controversial? Fluoride occurs naturally in the mineral fluorite, or fluorspar. It has revolutionised dentistry during the last century. Our teeth didn’t evolve to eat the hyper-processed diets we consume these days. This is why we get more cavities than our ancestors. Most commonly, fluoride is used in toothpaste and public drinking water – a process known as fluoridation.

Dec 9, 2024 | particle.scitech.org.au | Tom Gurn

Coriander, also known as cilantro, is likely the most polarising herb in your kitchen. It tastes fresh and delicious to some. Others detect an unmistakable and unpleasant soapy flavour. How can the same plant taste so different? Taste is one of our more enigmatic senses. The way it works is confusing, and understanding flavour may be more complicated than it seems. A MATTER OF TASTETaste is considered one of our true primary senses along with sight, smell, touch and sound.

Oct 20, 2024 | particle.scitech.org.au | Rachel Carson |Tom Gurn

Monosodium glutamate, more commonly known as MSG, is a popular flavour enhancer with a complicated and controversial history. MSG is the salt form of a common amino acid, glutamate. Glutamate is naturally occurring in many savoury foods such as tomatoes and cheese – and even the. This salty additive is usually derived from fermented corn starch, sugar cane or cassava starch. Restaurants will often promote they are MSG free, but this isn’t because it has been proven to be bad for you.

Aug 1, 2024 | particle.scitech.org.au | Tom Gurn

Unless you’ve been living deep beneath the Earth’s crust, you might have heard the term fossil fuels being bandied around in the news. The term is used to encompass the oil, gas and coal that power our industrialised world. Fossil fuels are constructed of hydrocarbon-based molecules. These compounds consist of only carbon and hydrogen atoms and are highly combustible. The label fossil fuels seems to suggest that we pump liquefied dinosaurs into our cars, but is this actually the case?

Jun 6, 2024 | particle.scitech.org.au | Tom Gurn

Have you ever jumped at the sight of two glowing white orbs outside your bedroom window? Have you ever noticed your pet’s eyes appear to flash brightly at night or in a photograph? This phenomenon, known as eyeshine, is caused by something called the tapetum lucidum. It’s a feature in the eyes of many vertebrates, including felines both big and small and most breeds of dogs. In the , light waves are first focused through the exterior dome-shaped cornea.