I recently set up a Facebook page for my high school biology students.  I was having trouble getting them to visit our class website, so I figured I’d might as well meet them where they are already spending a lot of their time.

In an effort to engage them, I decided that I’d post some super interesting (and gross) science-related news stories and offer them a little credit for giving their thoughts.

The first news story that I posted was about a legal case in which a man sued Pepsi because he claims to have found a dead mouse in his Mountain Dew beverage.  Company’s experts declared that “Mountain Dew would have reduced that mouse to jelly by the time it was opened 15 months after bottling” and that therefore it was impossible for him to find a dead mouse inside his drink.  Interesting line of defense.  (Sure, there might have been a dead mouse in your drink at one point, but it would have dissolved before you opened it, sir. Confidence building, for sure.)

Jokes aside, it isn’t rocket science to consider than an acidic citrus-flavored beverage could dissolve bones and teeth over a period of several months.  The real question is if it is capable of dissolving a carcass, should it be a part of someone’s regular diet?  Probably not.

My students chimed in with other reasons why they might opt for water or beverages other than sodas…

The amount of sugar can contribute to obesity and diabetes. also, sodas have no nutritional value and doesn’t do any good for the body.

The recommended daily consumption of water is half of your body weight in ounces. Diet soda can cause kidney damage, weight gain, tooth decay and bone loss.

I heard (according to ABC news) that a recent study showed that people who had consumed diet soda every day had a 61% increase in the risks of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke.