Articles by Sean
The Chemistry of Pumpkin Spice (Halloween Special)
Halloween is just around the corner! The season of jack-o’-lanterns, trick-or-treating and good scares also heralds the return of pumpkin spice. We find excuses to use this uniquely delicious blend of spices in lattes, pies and even salad dressing. But did you know that pumpkin spice doesn’t contain any pumpkin at all? We break down the ingredients and chemicals that make up this holiday seasoning. […]
Master Electronegativity (What You Don’t Learn in Class)
If a single concept in chemistry underpins all others, it is electronegativity. This resource introduces electron behavior and density to beginners in a unique way, providing a fresh approach to building chemistry fundamentals. By the end of the guide, beginners will have mastered electronegativity and how to apply its principles to predict chemical reactions. After all, reactions are simply the movement of electrons between atoms—chemistry is just a game that electrons play. […]
Why Branched Hydrocarbons Are Better for Car Engines
With crude oil prices reaching record highs earlier this year, it’s no surprise that we want to get the most mileage from our gas (petrol). Our car engines run on gasoline, a mixture of carbon-rich alkanes with different lengths known as hydrocarbons. It turns out that branched hydrocarbons run more smoothly than linear (straight) ones. In this article, we look at the chemistry of combustion! […]
SEO Guide For Science Writing (2022)
Let’s face it; we scientists aren’t the best at writing for a general audience. Science communication (SciComm) might be difficult, but driving traffic to our article or blog post is easy! We just need to follow a few simple steps to show Google the value of our content. This guide is for science writers who want to improve SEO without needing special software and paid tools. […]
8 Ways Doing SciComm Benefits You as a Scientist
“You’re a scientist; that’s awesome! So… what do you do?” We’ve all been there; friends and family ask about our research out of politeness without expecting to understand it. People believe science is the realm of scientists, and who can blame them? Barriers like jargon, complexity and paywalls prevent them from accessing the frontiers of research. Science communication, or SciComm, challenges this narrative. While it is valuable to the public, here are eight reasons why doing science communication benefits you as a scientist. […]
Sean is a consultant for clients in the pharmaceutical industry and is a lecturer at a local university, where unfortunate undergrads are subject to his ramblings on chemistry and pharmacology.
