Pretty.  Dangerous.

Mercury:

• Closest planet to the sun
• Roman God
• Former car company
• Chemical element
• Toxic substance

Though the name has been used for many types of things, the element itself has been used throughout history in a multitude of applications, including paint, cosmetics, firearms, even dental fillings which are still used today. Keep reading to learn more about this unique but toxic liquid metal!

• Mercury was used in Roman times as pigment in paint, a practice which continued all the way until 1991 (although as time went on it was used more as a fungicide rather than for color).

• People once considered the liquid, silvery mercury to be so special that it had to have healing powers. They used it to treat everything from syphilis to parasites to simple cuts and scrapes.

• Ever heard the phrase "mad as a hatter"? This comes from the mercury poisoning that many hat-makers suffered from using mercuric nitrate as a way to soften the felt used in hat making. 'Mad hatters' suffered slurred speech, tremors, and sometimes hallucinations.

How are you going to safely dispose of your mercury thermometers?
Purchase Enviro-Safe thermometers and let us recycle your mercury for FREE with our Mercury Exchange Program!

• Free, safe disposal of your old, unbroken mercury thermometers
• New, high-accuracy thermometers with environmentally friendly fill that can be used in place of spirit or mercury filled thermometers

Just Popping By!

Who doesn't love settling in to watch a movie with a big bowl of freshly popped, buttery popcorn? We know you've often pondered the science behind popcorn while you're waiting for the microwave to finish popping those kernels, or for the concession stand attendant to hand you a warm bag. Well wonder no more - we've got the scoop on how popcorn pops (sure to wow your friends and family during your next movie night!)

• Popcorn kernels naturally contain oil and water plus starch, surrounded by an outer shell, or hull.
• As they're heated, the oil and water gelatinize the starch inside the hull.
• As the internal temperature reaches about 180°C, pressure inside the hull rises to about 135psi, and then POP!
• The gelatinized starch spills out and immediately cools into the familiar popcorn shape we know and love.

Popcorn is 1 of 4 main types of corn, but it's the only one that POPS!

Pop Up 2" Freezer Boxes won't make the 'pop' sound when you assemble them, but they WILL save storage space and money (which we think is better)!

Click here to get your FREE sample!

• Ships flat/stores flat
• Saves money by replacing less often
  • More durable than fiberboard
  • Impervious to moisture
  • Reusable - will not stick to icy racks or shelves
• Fits into standard 2" freezer storage racks

Testing... Testing...

With the world's largest sporting event currently taking place in Rio, and all the controversy about performance-enhancing drugs that inevitably follows, we dug up a few interesting facts about doping and some surprising banned substances in sports.

• What, no coffee?! Caffeine was banned until 2004, due to it's ability to temporarily increase speed and stamina. However, since it was nearly impossible to distinguish casual use of caffeine from a doping attempt, the ban was lifted.
• Horses also go through drug testing for equestrian events! Capsaicin, the active chemical in hot chilies, can be found in horse topical creams to alleviate pain and/or increase their leg sensitivity, particularly when jumping fences. Because of this, capsaicin is a banned substance for these 4-legged athletic partners.
• Some athletes have resorted to blood doping by using blood transfusions to increase red blood cell count, thereby improving endurance.

Bonus fact!
Sports federations only started to test for
performance-enhancing drugs in the mid
1960s!

If you're like the IOC and storing frozen samples for the long haul, make sure they're securely labeled with NEW Cryogenic Storage Labels!

Click here to get your FREE sample!

• Organize and label samples for short or long-term cold storage
• Ideal for -80°C to -196°C environments
• Dot and rectangle shaped labels sized for 0.5 to 2.0ml cryogenic tubes, or 15ml centrifuge tubes
• Available in sheets or rolls; sheets can be fed through a standard ink jet or laser printer utilizing the appropriate template

No More Wires!

Bluetooth? What's a bluetooth? Yes, we know it's open wireless technology that shares data using short-wavelength radio transmissions, but what we didn't know was why it came to be called 'Bluetooth' (which frankly sounds a little bit more like the name of a band playing on campus)!

So, why is it called 'Bluetooth'? - The idea was inspired by 10th century King Harald Bluetooth. He united Danish tribes into one kingdom; Bluetooth technology unites communication into one universal standard.

And, why exactly was King Harald called 'Bluetooth'? - Rumor has it, he may have had a bad tooth that appeared 'blue' - Ouch! (blue actually meant dark back then!)

Bonus Fact! The Bluetooth logo contains the Nordic runes (aka letters) for the initials "HB"! Now that's serendipitous!

Need to monitor temperature and humidity without disrupting the environment?
Try the new DURAC® Bluetooth Thermometer Hygrometer!

Available with or without hygrometer, these units broadcast readings to any Apple or Android smartphone or device with Bluetooth 4.0 or better, utilizing the free THERMSmart app.

• Monitor critical environments without a physical connection
• Record temperature or temperature and humidity data for 30 days; hourly data for the first 7 days
• Alarm sounds if temperature falls outside of the set parameters
• Data viewable as a chart, graph, or on a calendar

In a Tight Spot?

Have you ever found an animal or rodent in your house and wondered how they got in? You might be surprised to learn that many animals can fit into impossibly smaller spaces. In fact, if a #2 pencil can fit inside a hole or crack, so can a mouse!

Don't let the fluff fool you! Most of these animals are much smaller than they seem, and their only limitation in squeezing through holes is actually their head! Here's how small of an opening these animals can fit through:

Need to clean a tight spot, like a clogged nozzle, spray bottle, or tubing?
Try the Smorc® - the small orifice cleaner!

• Ultra thin (0.152, 0.254, 0.508mm) stainless steel wires are 2" long and ideal for micro openings
• Wire assortment stores conveniently inside the hollow handle
• Pin vise securely holds a stainless steel cleaning wire in place