Binghamton Review and Distilled water: Difference between pages

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[[Image:Aqua-distillata.jpg|thumb|250px|Bottle for Distilled water in the Real Farmacia in Madrid.]]

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'''Distilled water''' is [[water]] that has virtually all of its [[Impurity|impurities]] removed through [[distillation]]. Distillation involves [[boiling]] the water and re-condensing the [[steam]] into a clean container, leaving most contaminants behind.

{{unreferenced|date=July 2006}}

'''Binghamton Review''' is a [[American conservatism|conservative]] student journal at [[Binghamton University]] in [[New York State]], [[United States]]. Issues of the magazine, published monthly from September to May, include news, humor, investigative journalism, and commentary on political, social, and student issues. The magazine is controversial on the Binghamton campus for its anti-[[liberal]] position and defense of [[conservatism]] as a whole.

==Applications==

===Editorial policy/format===

{{Unreferencedsect|date=July 2007}}

In chemical and biological laboratories, as well as industry, cheaper alternatives such as [[deionized water]] are preferred over distilled water.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} However, if these alternatives are not sufficiently pure, distilled water is used. Where exceptionally high purity water is required, [[double distilled water]] is used.

Distilled water is also commonly used to top up [[lead acid batteries]] used in cars and trucks. The presence of other ions commonly found in tap water will cause a drastic reduction in its lifespan.

''Binghamton Review'' is the only conservative paper on campus, and editors must continue in this tradition. There are, however, many [[libertarians]], [[moderates]], [[liberals]], and even [[socialists]] that write for the paper, sometimes regularly. Letters to the editor include fan mail and hate mail, and are often printed. As well, there is a regular feature, the campus media watch, in which the ''Review'' criticizes and comments on other campus publications, Binghamton University administration officials, and the campus issues of the day. It is almost unheard of when a staff writer will agree with every article printed in the magazine.

Distilled water is preferable to tap water for use in automotive cooling systems. The minerals and ions typically found in tap water can be corrosive to internal engine components, and can cause a more rapid depletion of the anti-corrosion additives found in most [[antifreeze]] formulations.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

===History===

Using distilled water in [[steam iron]]s for pressing clothes can help reduce mineral build-up and make the iron last longer. However, many iron manufacturers say that distilled water is no longer necessary in their irons.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

''Binghamton Review'' was founded in 1987, with John Guardiano as its first editor and two Russian ex-patriates as staff writers. The paper was composed of people who felt that other campus media was not properly portraying conservative positions on social and political issues. At the time, many ''Review'' staffers defined themselves as either [[American conservatism|conservatives]], [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] or [[anti-communists]]. The paper was chartered by the Student Assembly and declared fundable in 1987, and published monthly in newspaper format until 1992, when it changed to its current opinion journal format.

Some people use distilled water for household [[aquariums]] because it lacks the chemicals found in [[tap water]] supplies. It is important to supplement distilled water when using it for [[fishkeeping]]; it is too pure to sustain proper chemistry to support an aquarium ecosystem.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

In the 1990s, the Student Association at Binghamton University froze funding for the publication when the staff refused to attend sensitivity training. The training was mandated by the rules committee of the Student Assembly after a political cartoon was printed that claimed Gay and Lesbian studies was not serious academia. The ''Review'' countered that their centerfold was a place for humor and cartoons are not serious commentary. More importantly, they claimed that this was an attack on [[free speech]] and it was not proper for anyone other than editors to have editorial control over content. The Review also cited an earlier example of the Assembly not interfering with free speech protection when The Student Assembly had taken no action against "Pipe Dream" for publishing Holocaust Denial advertisements by the Neo Nazi Institute for Historical Review. Ultimately, the Review's content was condemned and they lost their funding, despite their claims of free speech protection.

==Drinking distilled water==

The ''Review'''s position remained defiant all through the nineties and into the present, as did the student government's position. However, despite lack of funding, issues continued to circulate, as the magazine was always able to attract the attention of national conservative groups, and because of private donors and the sale of advertisements. In a December 2004 meeting, the Student Assembly voted to once again fund the publication by a vote of 16-3, and that ended a 12 year funding ban, and an impasse between the ''Review'' and the student government.

{{Unreferencedsect|date=February 2007}}

Drinking distilled water is quite common.

Many beverage manufacturers use distilled water to ensure a drink's purity and taste. Bottled distilled water is sold as well, and can usually be found in [[supermarkets]]. [[Water purification]], such as distillation, is especially important in regions where water resources or tap water is not suitable for ingesting without boiling or chemical treatment.

During the mid-nineties, ''Binghamton Review'' started to attract more libertarians and moderates to their staff, which was reflected in their internal debates over social issues. This tradition of symposium writing is still evidenced today, and was started mainly by editor Nathan Wurtzel (Editor-in-Chief 1995-1996.) This aspect of the ''Review'' is perhaps its most recognizable quality to date by fans and critics alike.

Water filtration devices are common in many households. Most of these devices do not distill water, though there continues to be an increase in consumer-oriented [[water distiller]]s and reverse osmosis machines being sold and used. Municipal water supplies often add or have trace impurities at levels which are regulated to be safe for consumption. Much of these additional impurities, such as [[volatile organic compounds]], [[fluoride]], and an estimated 75,000+ other chemical compounds{{Fact|date=February 2007}} are not removed through conventional filtration; however, distillation does eliminate nearly all of these impurities.

===Controversy===

Distilled water is also used as drinking water in arid seaside areas which do not have sufficient freshwater, by distilling seawater. It is quite common on ships, especially [[nuclear ship|nuclear powered ships]], which require a large supply of distilled water as coolant. The drinking water is produced in [[desalination plant]]s, although it is very expensive due to the large amount of fuel needed to boil water. Alternative technologies like [[reverse osmosis]] are becoming increasingly important in this regard due to their greatly reduced costs.

Given the controversial past of ''Binghamton Review'', it was not surprising that they came to the defense of a fellow student publication, ''[[Pipe Dream (newspaper)|Pipe Dream]]'', when that newspaper had many of its issues stolen on April 1st and 2nd of 2005, after it published a controversial [[April Fools Day]] edition in an attempt at satire. While this was a notable stance to take for a rival publication, it fit in with their libertarian/conservative view of speech protection. It did, however, deepen the paper's tension with other student groups on campus (who were among the most upset at ''Pipe Dream'' for its April Fool's edition.)

===Pros and cons===

There is even controversy over whether the Review is "conservative" in nature. Under the leadership of Louis Leonini (Editor-in-Chief 2004-2005) in particular, Binghamton Review became more libertarian-inspired, and less conservative along the lines of traditionalism. Although the paper never spoke against traditional values under his leadership and it was not any less critical of the perceived "liberal establishment" on campus, the paper took a more neo-liberal than neo-conservative tone. It is important to note, however, that even Leonini's leadership saw the publication and influential contributions of many paleo-conservative and neo-conservative authors still in great visibility despite Leonini's free-trade, free market, small government ideology.

The drinking of distilled water has been both advocated and discouraged for health reasons. The lack of naturally-occurring minerals in distilled water has raised some concerns.

The Journal of General Internal Medicine<ref>{{Citation

The controversy about Binghamton Review is not limited to liberal criticisms. The paper (when Louis Leonini was managing editor and Michael O'Connell was editor) also endorsed legalization of marijuana, the lowering of the drinking age to 18, and the return of the "Campus Pub"--absent from the university since 1999. This move alienated some of their conservative base, but retained and recruited a good portion of their free-market writers and supporters. Their controversy within conservative ranks is confusing to their detractors, but the Review's structure allows its writers tremendous freedoms--the result is a collection of essays that are mostly (but not exclusively) right-of-center that often seem not to be part of a theme.

| last1=Azoulay | first1=Arik

| last2=Garzon | first2=Philippe

| last3=Eisenberg | first3=Mark

| year=2001

| title=Comparison of the Mineral Content of Tap Water and Bottled Waters

| periodical=Journal of General Internal Medicine

| volume=16

| issue=3

| pages=168-175

| url=http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2001.04189.x/enhancedabs/

}}</ref> published a study on the mineral contents of different waters available in the US. The study concluded, "drinking water sources available to North Americans may contain high levels of [[Calcium]], [[Magnesium]], and [[Sodium]] and may provide clinically important portions of the recommended dietary intake of these minerals. Physicians should encourage patients to check the mineral content of their drinking water, whether tap or bottled, and choose water most appropriate for their needs." Since distilled water doesn't contain minerals, supplemental mineral intake through diet is needed to maintain proper health.

It is often observed that consumption of "hard" water, or water that has some minerals, may have beneficial cardiovascular effects. As noted in the American Journal of Epidemiology, consumption of hard drinking water is negatively correlated with atherosclerotic [[heart disease]].<ref>{{Citation

==Staff==

| last=Voors

As of Spring 2007, the staff of the Binghamton Review are as follows:

| first=A. W.

| year=1971

| title=Mineral in the municipal water and atherosclerotic heart death

| periodical=American Journal of Epidemiology

| volume=93

| issue=4

| pages=259-266

| url=http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/4/259

}}</ref> Since distilled water is devoid of minerals, it will not have these potential benefits.

It has been suggested that -- because distilled water lacks [[fluoride]] ions that are added by many governments (e.g. municipalities in the United States) at water treatment plants using [[fluoridation]] for its supposed effect on the inhibition of [[caries|cavity]] formation -- the drinking of distilled water may increase the risk of tooth decay due to a lack of this element.<ref>[http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DentalHealth/tb/1756 ''Bottled Water Cited as Contributing to Cavity Comeback'' at MedPage Today]</ref>

'''Editor-in-Chief:'''

Chris Powell

A purported effect of drinking water in its pure form is a 'more powerful solvent' that helps cleanse toxins from the body{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.

'''Managing Editor:'''

Thomas Shannon

The cost of distilling water (about 0.04 to 0.10 Euro or USD per litre in 2005) prohibits its use by most households worldwide.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

'''Business Manager:'''

Nathaniel Sugarman

==Myths==

'''Treasurer:'''

A popular myth about distilled water is that it has the dangerous property of being more easily heated above its normal [[boiling point]] without actually boiling (as seen in "Mythbusters") in a process known as [[superheating]]. When superheated water is disturbed or has impurities added to it, a nucleation center for bubbles form. These bubbles are then new nucleation centers, and a sudden, explosive boiling can occur, possibly causing serious injury to those nearby. However, distilled water and tap water do not differ in their ease of or danger in being superheated. The dissolved impurities in motionless tap water do not present enough disturbance to inhibit superheating.

Michael Calabrese

==References==

'''Layour Editor/Webmaster:'''

<references/>

N/A

==See also==

'''Graphic Mercenary:'''

* [[Deionized water]]

Josh Geller

* [[Atmospheric water generator]] ''(Make distilled water from air)''

* [[Heavy water]]

* [[Double distilled water]]

[[Category:Liquid water]]

'''Staff Writers:'''

[[Category:Distillation]]

[[Category:Drinking water]]

[[de:Destilliertes Wasser]]

:Arielle Deutsch

[[es:Agua destilada]]

:Evan Engel

[[gl:Auga destilada]]

:Denis Fitzgerald

[[it:Acqua distillata]]

:Dylan Lainhart

[[he:מים מזוקקים]]

:Harris Ringelheim

[[nl:Gedestilleerd water]]

:Alex Rosenthal

[[pl:Woda destylowana]]

:Thomas Shannon

[[pt:Água destilada]]

:Nathaniel Sugarman

[[ru:Дистиллированная вода]]

:Nick Tinen

[[sl:Destilirana voda]]

[[sv:Destillerat vatten]]

===Past Editors of Binghamton Review===

[[zh:蒸馏水]]

: John Guardiano

: Yan Rusanovsky

: Kathryn Doherty

: Ephriam Bernstein

: Michael Malloy

: Paul Schnier

: Adam Bromberg

: Bernadette Malone

: Michael Darcy

: Nathan Wurtzel

: Amy Gardner

: John Carney

: Paul Torres

: Jason Kovacs

: Robert Zoch

: Matthew Pecorino

: Michael O'Connell

: Louis W. Leonini

: Joseph Carlone

==External links==

*[http://www.binghamton.edu/ Binghamton University]

[[Category:Student newspapers published in the United States|Binghamton Review]]

[[Category:Binghamton University]]