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| Cappuccino |
Every once in a while, we all need to step back and appreciate the little things. Today, I'd like to appreciate this little thing known to graduate students far and wide, this little thing known as caffeine. 1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6(3H,7H)-dione for those less familiar with normal people and more familiar with IUPAC. In addition to being a wonderful stimulant in the morning, this marvelous molecule also acts as a good insecticide, although probably more for the plant that's trying to avoid losing a leaf. At the right doses though, it would be fairly good at killing larger animals too, with an LD50 of around 190mg/kg (apparently tested in a rat).
Caffeine's chemical structure also makes for a cute
T-shirt.
