For decades, the U.S. government issued a chemical shark repellent to pilots, sailors, and even astronauts to fend off potential shark attacks. The problem was, that substance did not actually work. This video explains why developing an effective shark repellent is so very difficult. Hint: one problem has to do with the ocean's dissipative effect.
All About Shark Repellant
Is there such a thing as love at first scent? Hundreds of spray-on pheromone products claim to put you on the fast track to romance, but can they really help humans land a mate? This video has the answers. [Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society (www.youtube.com/acsreactions)]
Can Pheromones Get You A Date?
What do chameleons have to do with nanotechnology? You'll find out when you watch this video. These color-changing lizards are some of nature's most interesting animals, all because they are masters of pigment and light. Explore the chemistry of chameleon color with this video.
Chameleons Are Masters of Nanotechnology
Cats: they are the subject of millions of videos and hundreds of memes. This video has answers to some of the biggest cat-related questions out there: Why does catnip make most cats go crazy? How does kitty litter clump? And what does it mean when your cat rubs against your leg? [Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society (www.youtube.com/acsreactions)]
The Chemistry of Cats
This video explains how certain neurotransmitters fuel lifelong pair bonds in prairie voles, which—along with humans—are the mammalian kingdom's leading monogamists. In the video, Abigail Marsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University, also explains that addictive drugs affect the brain in ways similar to love—which helps explain the painful, withdrawal-like symptoms of heartbreak. [Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society (www.youtube.com/acsreactions)]
The Chemistry of Love
Poisonous snakes are dangerous, but what exactly makes their venom so powerful? The answer is chemistry. This video sheds some light on the proteins in snake venom, as well as its potential medical uses.
The Chemistry of Snake Venom
Best-selling author Sam Kean debunks the myth of the Megalodon, the 50-foot super shark that, despite what you may have read, is long extinct. In this video, Kean unravels the myth by explaining how the element manganese holds the key. [Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society (www.youtube.com/acsreactions)]
Do Mega Sharks Still Exist?
Chemists have found potential drugs and other useful compounds in some truly bizarre places in nature. Who would have thought that blood from the Komodo dragon could have a secret inside of it that could possibly save your life? This video takes a closer look at other wild places in nature where scientists have found lifesaving drugs.
Dragon's Blood Could Save Your Life
Honey is great for drizzling over toast, stirring into tea, and many other uses. What most people don't know is that during the trip from the flower in the field to the jar on your table, honey spends a lot of time in a bee's gut. This video describes honey's physiological production process.
Honey is Really Bee Puke
As the saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But can you? This video explains the chemistry behind why fruit flies love vinegar so much that some entomologists call them “vinegar flies.”
How Can You Catch Fruit Flies?