It has been the holiday mystery of the ages – the real life existence of Father Christmas, better known to children around the world as the jolliest of elves… Santa Claus. Over the years, the FBI, Scotland Yard, MENSA and the Illuminati have all tried in vain to gather proof that the man in the big red suit did exist. Today, the unthinkable, unimaginable has occurred: through new technology developed by Wet Nose Design in London, undeniable evidence proving Santa’s existence has been uncovered
If you have ever wondered about the science behind your Thanksgiving Day Feast, this post is a must read to learn the fun facts behind triptophan, cranberry sauce, starches, fats, maize and more!
Ah, Thanksgiving. A day full of turkey, cranberries, pie, and, of course, SCIENCE! Thanksgiving is a classic American holiday when families gather around the dinner table. Along with providing an opportunity for family members to celebrate, this holiday also serves as the perfect occasion to impress others with these fun, holiday-themed science facts. The True Culprit Behind The “Turkey-Day Coma”
For eons upon eons (or at least the past few decades), we’ve blamed post-Thanksgiving drowsiness on tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey meat. Is this really fair or should we be pointing our fingers somewhere else? Perhaps somewhere closer to our empty plates and full bellies? Tryptophan indeed is linked with drowsiness – that’s no myth. It’s a biochemical precursor to serotonin, which has a calming effect on the brain and body. And tryptophan is indeed found in turkey meat. It’s also present in chocolate, some fruits, dairy, red meat and eggs. However, tryptophan is almost certainly not the cause of the Turkey Day food coma. First of all, the levels of tryptophan that we ingest in even a Thanksgiving-sized portion of turkey is not all that much more than is found in what we eat on any other day. Plus tryptophan works best on an empty stomach, not a stuffed one! The real culprit? It’s probably a combination of your body working hard to digest a large meal and a fervent desire to put off doing the dishes!
From Sauce to Solid: The Science of Cranberries
“Slurp…plop!” Recognize that sound? You might if your family usually serves jellied cranberries on Thanksgiving. Cranberries have been known to help fight cancer and also contain antioxidants and nutrients that are beneficial to both dental and cardiovascular health as well as anti-aging properties. Cranberries can be served as a sauce – some like it runny; others like it wiggly; and still some like it firmly gelled. No matter which version you prefer, they all have the exact same ingredients – water, sugar and cranberries. So what makes one version turn into a gelatin while the other stays saucy? It all comes down to the cooking time & how it affects the natural pectin found in the cranberry. As they are cooked, the cranberries pop open, releasing pectin, which helps them stick together. Pectin is a natural polymer found in between plant’s cells and within the cell walls. It helps “glue” the plant cells together and keeps plant tissues firm. And in cooked cranberries it can help stick the cooked fruit together to form a solid jelly. Jellied cranberries are thick, like gelatin, and retain the shape of the mold in which it was placed, which might mean Aunt Sallie’s turkey mold or even the shape of a can. If you are looking at a way to please everyone at dinner by serving both gooey and jellied cranberries, head into the kitchen & discover the science of cranberries for yourself!
Super-Charged Spuds
Thanksgiving would not be the same without mashed potatoes. Not only do they go great with turkey and gravy, they conduct electricity too. Potatoes have hidden energy that can turn your thanksgiving side dish into a real, working battery! The potato battery is a type of electrochemical cell that demonstrates current electricity. An electrochemical cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy. In the potato battery, there is a transfer of electrons between a galvanized nail and copper wire that is inserted into the potato. The potato conducts electricity, keeping ions separate, so that the electrons in the copper wire are forced to move generating an electric current. It’s not enough power to shock you, but the potato can generate readings on electricity meters, make light bulbs glow and even power small digital clocks. You can super-charge your spuds this Thanksgiving by making your very own potato clock!
The “A-Maiz”ing Ear
We can’t talk about the traditional Thanksgiving meal without mentioning corn! Known as “maize” to Native Americans, the relationship between corn & Thanksgiving go all the way back to the first harvest time celebration feast in Plymouth. Whether in a creamy custard or casserole, corn dishes add a little more sweetness and richness to our decadent meal. Corn is grown on every continent except Antarctica and is by far, America’s number one field crop. Not only does it provide great nutritional benefits for us but it has many uses in our everyday life including corn starch, popcorn, corn syrup, corn plastics, and of course, ethanol. One bushel of corn can make 32 pounds of starch, 33 pounds of sweetener, 2.8 gallons of ethanol fuel and 1.6 pounds of corn oil. Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel, also known as biofuel, which is produced from the ears of the corn plant. Ethanol can power cars and also be used as cooking oil. Biofuel burns cleaner than gasoline, reducing air and water pollution. As you bite into that juicy ear of corn during your Turkey Day feast, use some of these facts to “a-maize” your dinner guests with the surprising versatility of plain old corn!
Get Saucy with Starches
Who doesn’t love soaking up the last bit of gravy on Thanksgiving? Sauces provide concentrated flavor in a thickened liquid form that compliments the rest of your meal. No matter if they’re salty, spicy, savory, or sweet, sauces make foods richer and more enjoyable! There are many ways to thicken sauces, but one of the most common ways is to use starches. Cooks have two choices in deciding how to thicken sauces with starches: they can use the starches from grains, or the starches from tubers and roots. The starch in grains like wheat, corn, and rice is different from the starch in roots and tubers like potatoes, tapioca, and arrowroot. To make your sauce or gravy you add the starch to the liquid. It sounds like a simple task – You just put it in, right? Wrong. Mixing starches & liquids can be a very tricky process. There are several methods to incorporate the two together, including mixing the starch first with a small amount of cold water, mixing the starch first with a bit of fat, or making a roux. By experimenting with different starches and liquids, you can watch the molecules go to work & discover which has the ultimate thickening power!
Perfecting Your Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is one of the staples of the Thanksgiving feast, having been linked to the holiday since that autumn eve more than 300 years ago. Pumpkin pie has even sparked the interest of archaeologists as a product derived from merging three distinct cultures together. This favorite holiday dessert is a combination of ingredients from Native American, European and African cultures – pumpkin, pastry crust and allspice- and represents a cultural mixing referred to as “creolization” by New World Scholars. Pumpkin pie not only attracts archeologists around the world but kitchen scientists as well. You can enjoy this dessert on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream, but either way the light & flaky crust is crucial in producing a perfect pumpkin pie. Making the dough light & flaky all comes down to the scientific makeup of the pie dough. When making pastry dough, large amounts of fat are used to coat and separate the flour particles from each other. You then add just enough water to make a dough. Since much of the starch in the flour is not in contact with any of the water, the resulting cooked dough is crumbly and flaky. If the pastry that surrounds the pumpkin mixture is heavy or chewy then that can affect how much you enjoy this thanksgiving finale. This holiday, experiment with different fats & temperatures to see which gives your pumpkin pie the best texture & taste. Who knows, with the help of a little science, you just might become your family’s pie master!
For many families, Thanksgiving Day is marked by special foods — and endless leftovers. If you’re on kitchen duty this November, put these food science skills to use & become a kitchen chemist with experiments like these!
High Touch High Tech recognizes the value and importance of the teacher’s role and creating the next generation of scientists. On November 6th, HTHT sponsored the 2011 Celebration of Champions for Asheville City Schools. Their sponsorship provided all of the ACS Science teachers with tickets to attend the event. Educators from across Asheville were dined and entertained by an awards ceremony and even a High Touch High Tech Raffle. With the support of High Touch High Tech, Asheville City Schools raised over $14,000 to benefit programs in the city schools and honored some amazing individuals and programs in the community.
TheAshevilleCitySchool’s mission is to promote the success of all of our young people by mobilizing the community. Each year, we are honored to recognize those key champions who are making a difference, providing our young people with opportunities to thrive.
With NASA’s final space shuttle mission having already traveled beyond our atmosphere and safely returned to Earth, many bemoaned the fact that our nation’s space program seemed to have very little vision and future here in the early portion of this century. Would little boys and girls still dream about soaring into the stratosphere as astronauts?
Among the attributes NASA is seeking from qualified applicants are “Creativity. Ambition. Teamwork. A sense of daring. And a probing mind.” In case you’re interested, the pay scale for a U.S. astronaut is $64,724 to$141,715 per year according to the overview of the position.
If you watch the recruitment video, apparently singing karaoke in space is also part of the wacky fun astronauts enjoy. Think your the person for the job? Apply for the Astronaut Candidate Program!
On November 7th, students at Forest City Dunbar Elementary stepped into the shoes of a real geologist. Students went on an adventure with HTHT Scientist Ali-Gator as they learned all about geology and even mined for real gems. 4th grade teacher, Ms. Brookman, said “Thank you for making such a positive difference in our students. They are totally in love with science now!” Check out these awesome letters we received from the students:
If you are in the Western North Carolina area and want to learn more on how you can make a difference in your classroom, contact us today for more information!
Visit us online at www.ScienceMadeFunWNC.net or Call – 828.684.3192 , Email – info@ScienceMadeFunWNC.net
Science is fun for the whole family. It can span the ages and intrigue the whole family. It will surprise you how well science gifts can be received, even grandfather’s and mothers in-law will like a science gift if you try giving science gifts this holiday season. With so many divisions of science, you ought to be able to find something that suits each person on your list–and sometimes, that hard-to-buy-for person can be the easiest one to buy a science gift for.
Science is fun for the whole family. It can span the ages and intrigue the whole family. It will surprise you how well science gifts can be received, even grandfather’s and mothers in-law will like a science gift if you try giving science gifts this holiday season. With so many divisions of science, you ought to be able to find something that suits each person on your list–and sometimes, that hard-to-buy-for person can be the easiest one to buy a science gift for.
Why Science?
Science is SO important, and too many people feel intimidated by it. I’ve made it a personal mission to promote sciences to homeschoolers, to encourage them to observe and question the natural world around them, to tell them that science is nothing to fear.
So why is science so important? Simple. Because it is all around us in the natural world we live in, and our technology, too, is becoming more and more complex, and in order for us, as adults, to make informed decisions, we need a solid understanding of science in order to interpret the scientific messages we received day-in and day-out..
Many of us have known for a very long time that our children, here in America, are being left behind by the other children of the world, due to an education deficit all across the board, but no subjects so significant as math and science. Thank goodness we’re waking up to the call for reform. President Obama announced recently the need for increased attention to math and science education, national organizations like STEM, have been promoting science education, as well as some celebrities like Adam Savage of the popular show, Mythbusters. Including science in your holiday gift-giving will help to get the ball rolling, but science is for every-day, and should be incorporated as a natural part of yours and your child’s lives.
Learn the many sub-divisions of Science & get great gift ideas for the science lover in your family in this great article Science For Christmas!
High Touch High Tech of Western North Carolina & Greenville / Spartanburg SC is proud to be this week’s MobiDeal Featured Deal of The Week! Now is the time to book your holiday party & get 50% off this week only! See below for more details:
Get more information by visiting High Touch High Tech of WNC online by clicking here.
You can also call 828.684.3192 for more details & to book today!
It wasn’t a goose that laid a golden egg for one Missouri farmer — it was an asteroid. Scientists are analyzing an extremely rare meteorite found by a farmer in a tiny Missouri town called Conception Junction (population 202)
It wasn’t a goose that laid a golden egg for one Missouri farmer — it was an asteroid.
An unnamed farmer had found the unusually heavy stone buried in the side of hill. He sawed off the end of the stone and realized he had something that didn’t come from Earth.
The metal rock is studded on the inside with green olivine crystals. It is one of only 20 so-called pallasite meteorites that have been found in the United States.
These types of meteorites are believed to be fragments of large asteroids that had enough internal heat to begin melting, which allowed heavy metals to sink and form a core, while lighter elements became part of the rocky surface.
Pallasites are believed to come from the area where an asteroid’s metal core transitions to olivine in its lower mantle.
Scientists believe the Conception Junction meteorite was once part of an asteroid that flew in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter until it was nudged toward the inner solar system by Jupiter’s gravity field. Sliced and polished, the stone, which is now in the hands of private collectors, is worth about $200 a gram.
What does Dinner and “Science Made Fun!” have in common? Chick-fil-A® Kid’s & Family Nights!
On Tuesday, November 8, 2011, High Touch High Tech of Houston joined Chick Fil A of Northwest Crossing for a fun Science Experience and Family Fun Night. Over 50 participants enjoyed discovering the Science of Chemistry. Children engaged in hands-on experiments such as tornado tube races, making cool chemical reactions and creating Silly Putty!
High Touch High Tech is proud to partner with Chick Fil A Kid’s & Family Night bringing families together to create lasting, fun memories through food and fun.
If you’re in the Houston area and want to learn how you can have fun with hands-on science, contact High Touch High Tech of Houston! Visit them online at www.ScienceMadeFunHOU.net or contact them via email info@ScienceMadeFunHOU.net or phone by calling 281.448.9919 today!
The tiny town of Bundawan isn’t exactly a tourist mecca for the Philippines, but they’re doing their best to develop attractions. The first thing on Bunawan’s list of things to see? A 6.2 meter (20 foot) long, 1-ton crocodile that is believed to be the largest crocodile in the world. The world’s largest crocodile was captured in the Agusan marsh outside of Bunawan on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao in September. It was measured at 6.2 meters by famed Australian zoologist Adam Britton, who measured the current Guinness World Record crocodile, 5.8-meter Cassius, in 2008.
“We are happy to announce that we have the biggest crocodile in the whole world,” crowed Bunawan town council member Apollo Canoy. ”So far we have not had any contacts with Guinness, and we do not know whether they plan to visit us soon.”
Guinness is aware of the crocodile, believed to be the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity at this time, and they’re following the story as details emerge. They need more evidence before they crown the Bundawan crocodile as the largest ever captured. Until then, Bundawan continues to reap the benefits of having a giant crocodile, with the croc drawing 27,000 visitors every year to the tiny swamp town.
The croc eats nearly 37.5 pounds of pork in a day.