Dec 1, 2008 - Ever wonder how difficult it is to drink coffee in a weight less environment? Well its apparently more difficult than we think. And interestingly enough, its one that may not even involve coffee itself - but rather the cup!
Luckily, creative engineers have devised a way to that allow astronauts to enjoy their Cup of Joe by simply getting rid of the coffee cup altogether and creating a "coffee bag" based on airplane wing technology. Who would of known? Everything works just fine so long as the bag's sharp angle is less than "two times 90 minus the contact landing angle" - the coffee will automatically creep up.
September 24, 2008 - Reseachers at the University of Washington observed that by applying a caffeine-laden lotion to the skin of hairless mice significantly reduced the damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) light. Writing in the Journal of Cancer research, the scientist stated that those mice with the caffeine lotion applied, not only had a reduced number of cells damaged, but were also able to shed more than double the amount of already damaged skin cells than normal. The findings are still tentative, but this may someday lead to the use of caffeine in our sunblock.
September 19, 2008 - Get a boost of energy conveniently and inexpensively through VE2 Energy Gum, the manufacturer, VE2 Laboratories, stated. The gum, created by an emergency room doctor, was the result of a two-year research and development process to find a product that can be carried conveniently and required no refrigeration, according to the company. Besides caffeine, VE2 contains vitamins B6 and B12, niacin, ginseng and guarana. Two pieces of gum are equal to about one 8-ounce energy drink or cup of coffee, the company stated. The suggested retail price is $1.79 for a 10-piece package.
September 16, 2008 - In the past century the incidence of male pattern baldness (MPB) has significantly increased and according to many, part of the blame is due to the modernization of our society. Today, Western diets contain high concentrations of sugar, fat and animal protein, which according to researchers - have all been correlated in some way to the increase in dihydroxytestosterone (DHT) - a compound believed to cause male pattern baldness. Luckily, according to German scientists at Alpecin Cosmetic , experiments with caffeine laden shampoos have shown significant increases in hair growth and overall results.
September 9, 2008 - the year has come and gone, but this year in particular holds a special significance. This month, in my final issue of Under the Microscope, we discuss some of coffee's darker side - coffee adulteration. Thats right, even as far back as the 1700's coffee adulteration was such a wide spread issue, that the British Parliment passed the "Adulteration of Coffee Act" - a law which essentially forbade the adulteration of coffee with cheaper products. In the years therafter the law twarted many would be perpetrators but only for a short time. As human nature...
