Cosmic Queries – Astrochemistry with Kate the Chemist
StarTalk Radio
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Sunscreen Is Your Sacrificial Shield
The ultraviolet light is what causes skin cancer and so it's such high energy radiation that it can kick off electrons off of atoms. So we really need to wear a sunscreen because essentially we have sacrificial molecules that we put on top of our skin that die. They split, their bonds split. And that's what protects us because those molecules die. Then the ultraviolet radiation essentially goes to those molecules. Oh, interesting. I didn't realize it kind of works almost like a, like a bike helmet where it just breaks instead of your head. Thank you.
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