Japanese researchers are looking to add their mark in scientific history & to the periodic table. The past couple of years have made incredible advances in the world of chemistry, growing the periodic table more & more.
The discovery still has to be officially ratified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). The element is currently called ununtrium, but is expected to either be named “rikenium” or “japonium,” with japonium leading the way. That’s assuming the Japanese actually created the element first; US and Russian scientists have claimed that they have synthesized Element 113 some 56 times previously.
A RARE “blue moon” is on its way, a fitting wink to Neil Armstrong by the cosmic calendar.
When you hear the words “Blue Moon,” what comes to mind? Some may say the popular 1935 song written by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart. Others may say they think of the common idiom of something occurring “once in a blue moon” which means a rare occurance. But after tomorrow, many will instantly think of the legendary space pioneer, Neil Armstrong.
The upcoming lunar event will be the first of its kind since 2009. The blue moon phenomenon occurs when there are two full moons within a calendar month. The 2012 blue moon is due to occur on Friday, the day of a private service for Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, who died last Saturday in Ohio at age 82.
The full moon cycle is 29.5 days, so a blue moon is uncommon and is theorized to mean something rare. Even though the moon does not actually appear blue, it is still an incredible thing to witness. The blue moon will occur on August 31 for South America, North America, Europe Africa, Asia, India and Australia. New Zealand will miss out as the full moon occurs just past midnight on September 1st.
The next blue moon will occur in July of 2015. For those who wish to pay tribute to the man who achieved the impossible & inspired people around the world, Armstrong’s family has asked for a special act during Friday nights event…Simply, look to the moon & give the astronaut a wink!
The Large Hadron Collider is a superstar in the physics world, if only because it’s one of the few physics tools that have crossed over into mainstream consciousness. Basically everyone is aware of the LHC, thanks to the comic books and pop-up children’s books and
the whole “it’s going to destroy the world!” furor that surrounded the launch of the LHC. Well, as it turns out, all those mini-big bangs may have yielded the ultimate discovery. The CERN team at the LHC is bringing in reporters to its Geneva, Switzerland, headquarters and are expected to announce the discovery of the Higgs boson, AKA the God Particle.
First postulated by Peter Higgs in 1964, the Higgs boson is the lynchpin to the unified theory of physics, which states that all matter is composed ultimately of the same subatomic materials organized in a different way. The Higgs boson, according to scientists and the current theory, is the reason why we have elements and materials and all the things we take for granted (because we are composed of them). The Higgs is the glue that holds together subatomic particles.
This may be the first real evidence of the Higgs boson, and it’s all thanks to the world-threatening LHC.
If I said the name Bob Noyce to you, odds are you won’t know who he is. I didn’t, until I clicked through on Google’s Doodle of the day today. Today’s Google Doodle is a giant semiconductor. As it turns out, Google has changed its home page to honor the inventor of the microchip, Robert “Bob” Noyce. Today would have been Bob Noyce’s 82nd birthday, and as it turns out, he was one of the titans behind the rise of the American computer industry.
Dubbed The Mayor of Silicon Valley, Bob Noyce founded not one, but two revolutionary companies: Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel. He is also credited alongside Jack Kilby as the inventor of the microchip semiconductor, AKA the backbone of the modern computer and the entire computing industry. He was also one of the first titans of Silicon Valley, and one of the most powerful men in the technology industry at the time of his death in 1990, if only from a sheer vision standpoint. After all, Noyce was nicknamed Rapid Robert by his classmates at Grinnell College and MIT, so you know he had a sharp mind and no hint of sloth.
Look in the western sky Saturday morning before dawn, and if the weather is clear and you’re in the right place, you will be rewarded with the last lunar eclipse of 2011.
For just under an hour, the disk of the full moon will almost disappear, turning a dark, rusty red. The catch for Americans is that you’ll miss almost everything unless you’re west of the Mississippi. Totality — when the moon is completely consumed by Earth’s shadow — begins at 6:06 a.m. Pacific time Saturday, and ends at 6:57 a.m. Even on the Pacific coast, dawn will start to brighten the sky before the eclipse is over.
Still, if you happen to be up, a lunar eclipse can be a quiet, refreshing experience. Depending on the atmospheric conditions where you are, the moon may turn a rich orange, or it may become hard to pick out in the sky. The reddish hue comes from sunlight that is bent by Earth’s atmosphere. As happens during a vivid sunrise or sunset, most colors other than red are absorbed by the air. Read More
Did You Know?
A lunar eclipse takes place when the moon, following its orbit around us, passes directly behind Earth as seen from the sun. It is the opposite of a solar eclipse, when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. Since the moon’s orbit is slightly tilted, the bodies do not align perfectly during most months — but the rules of orbital mechanics are such that in any given year, there will be at least two and no more than seven solar or lunar eclipses.
Wasps have amazing ability to memorize and later recall the figures of other wasps, from native cluster. Findings add to other remarkable capacity of these social insects, providing new information on the specializations from the animal world.
Wasps are downright phenomenal when it comes to intelligence. They manage to learn, and recognize the figures of other wasps, very quickly. And not only the ability to recognize different physiognomies, but also make the difference between wasps and other insects only after facial analysis.
Studies have shown that wasps recognize different physiognomies, but are also able to remember for a
time of about one week. As these insects live in communities with multiple queens and must follow a strict hierarchy, entomology theories claim that wasps have evolved in this direction to avoid intra-specific conflicts.
Memorizing faces has a very important role in establishing and maintaining social interactions, thus serving survival of social animal species.
Earlier in the year, there were a great deal of new elements discovered by a team of Russian physicists and American chemists. Of those elements, 113, 115, 117, and 118 are still needing names; elements 114 and 116 are going to be called Flerovium and Livermorium, according to the teams that discovered them. It’s up to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, or IUPAC, to approve of said names.
The new elements have names that honor the history of the two teams that worked on discovering them, Russia’s Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Livermorium is obviously named for Lawrence Livermore and Livermore National Laboratory; Flerovium is named for Georgiy Flerov, the founder of Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, where the reactions were synthesized.
“Proposing these names for the elements honors not only the individual contributions of scientists from these laboratories to the fields of nuclear science, heavy element research, and super-heavy element research, but also the phenomenal cooperation and collaboration that has occurred between scientists at these two locations,” said Bill Goldstein, associate director of the Physical and Life Sciences Directorate at Livermore.
So what would you name the new elements? Read the full story here
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”
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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
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“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
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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
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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
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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!
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!
