It's #PancakeDay today! US-style pancakes use baking soda to produce bubbles of CO₂ for fluffiness, & it's best to only lightly mix the batter for perfect gluten formation. UK-style pancakes are more like crêpes. For these, beat hard & leave to rest so bubbles escape #272sci #292sci
February 13, 2024 at 8:30 AM
It's #PancakeDay today! US-style pancakes use baking soda to produce bubbles of CO₂ for fluffiness, & it's best to only lightly mix the batter for perfect gluten formation. UK-style pancakes are more like crêpes. For these, beat hard & leave to rest so bubbles escape #272sci #292sci
Back on the hellsite I used to do regular science one-posts. They were all tagged #272sci, because Twitter’s character limit was 280, which left 272, allowing for a space.
Anyway, I was thinking I might copy them over here…
Only here, I guess, #292sci…
Anyway, I was thinking I might copy them over here…
Only here, I guess, #292sci…
February 6, 2024 at 8:18 PM
Back on the hellsite I used to do regular science one-posts. They were all tagged #272sci, because Twitter’s character limit was 280, which left 272, allowing for a space.
Anyway, I was thinking I might copy them over here…
Only here, I guess, #292sci…
Anyway, I was thinking I might copy them over here…
Only here, I guess, #292sci…
2 years ago…
There are many aluminium alloys. The ones used for beer cans contain manganese, magnesium & traces of other elements
The top of the can is usually the harder 5182 alloy—containing 4.5% Mg—while the body is usually the more-crushable 3004, with only ~1% Mg (& 1–1.5% Mn) #272sci #292sci
There are many aluminium alloys. The ones used for beer cans contain manganese, magnesium & traces of other elements
The top of the can is usually the harder 5182 alloy—containing 4.5% Mg—while the body is usually the more-crushable 3004, with only ~1% Mg (& 1–1.5% Mn) #272sci #292sci
February 6, 2024 at 8:25 PM
2 years ago…
There are many aluminium alloys. The ones used for beer cans contain manganese, magnesium & traces of other elements
The top of the can is usually the harder 5182 alloy—containing 4.5% Mg—while the body is usually the more-crushable 3004, with only ~1% Mg (& 1–1.5% Mn) #272sci #292sci
There are many aluminium alloys. The ones used for beer cans contain manganese, magnesium & traces of other elements
The top of the can is usually the harder 5182 alloy—containing 4.5% Mg—while the body is usually the more-crushable 3004, with only ~1% Mg (& 1–1.5% Mn) #272sci #292sci
Feb 8 2022…
It’s #MolassesBarDay! Molasses (aka treacle) is the viscous byproduct of sugar refining. Raw sugar syrup is boiled to remove sucrose (to be refined) & the leftover syrup contains ~40% sugars. It’s used for flavour & colour, & is also a humectant—meaning it absorbs water #272sci #292sci
It’s #MolassesBarDay! Molasses (aka treacle) is the viscous byproduct of sugar refining. Raw sugar syrup is boiled to remove sucrose (to be refined) & the leftover syrup contains ~40% sugars. It’s used for flavour & colour, & is also a humectant—meaning it absorbs water #272sci #292sci
February 8, 2024 at 4:44 PM
Feb 8 2022…
It’s #MolassesBarDay! Molasses (aka treacle) is the viscous byproduct of sugar refining. Raw sugar syrup is boiled to remove sucrose (to be refined) & the leftover syrup contains ~40% sugars. It’s used for flavour & colour, & is also a humectant—meaning it absorbs water #272sci #292sci
It’s #MolassesBarDay! Molasses (aka treacle) is the viscous byproduct of sugar refining. Raw sugar syrup is boiled to remove sucrose (to be refined) & the leftover syrup contains ~40% sugars. It’s used for flavour & colour, & is also a humectant—meaning it absorbs water #272sci #292sci
Did you know plants can communicate? A certain type of sweet potato (TN 57) is resistant to pests: when its leaves are damaged it releases a chemical called DMNT that then stimulates production of sporamin, making the leaves hard to digest – and this also “warns” neighbouring plants #272sci #292sci
February 24, 2024 at 9:35 PM
Did you know plants can communicate? A certain type of sweet potato (TN 57) is resistant to pests: when its leaves are damaged it releases a chemical called DMNT that then stimulates production of sporamin, making the leaves hard to digest – and this also “warns” neighbouring plants #272sci #292sci
7th Feb is #PeriodicTableDay! Early forms didn’t include the noble gases. Evidence for Ar was found in 1894, but because it was so unreactive, Mendeleev was reluctant to include it. As Kr, Xe & Ne came to light (& the already-known He) he had to change: & added the final column #272sci #292sci
February 7, 2024 at 8:20 AM
7th Feb is #PeriodicTableDay! Early forms didn’t include the noble gases. Evidence for Ar was found in 1894, but because it was so unreactive, Mendeleev was reluctant to include it. As Kr, Xe & Ne came to light (& the already-known He) he had to change: & added the final column #272sci #292sci
18th Feb is #NationalDrinkWineDay! Wine is a complex mixture. Many wine aromas are due to esters: compounds formed when organic acids react with alcohol. Eg, ethyl acetate (pear drops) isoamyl acetate (banana/pear) ethyl octanoate (flowers) & ethyl butyrate (pineapple) 🍷 #272sci #292sci
February 18, 2024 at 7:20 PM
18th Feb is #NationalDrinkWineDay! Wine is a complex mixture. Many wine aromas are due to esters: compounds formed when organic acids react with alcohol. Eg, ethyl acetate (pear drops) isoamyl acetate (banana/pear) ethyl octanoate (flowers) & ethyl butyrate (pineapple) 🍷 #272sci #292sci
From 6/2/22…
The Beijing winter #Olympics are almost 100% reliant on artificial snow. Snow cannons have sprayed approx. 185 mill litres of treated, purified water into the air, where they form tiny ice crystals. The “snow” is icier, making it faster for athletes & harder to fall on #272sci #292sci
The Beijing winter #Olympics are almost 100% reliant on artificial snow. Snow cannons have sprayed approx. 185 mill litres of treated, purified water into the air, where they form tiny ice crystals. The “snow” is icier, making it faster for athletes & harder to fall on #272sci #292sci
February 6, 2024 at 8:29 PM
From 6/2/22…
The Beijing winter #Olympics are almost 100% reliant on artificial snow. Snow cannons have sprayed approx. 185 mill litres of treated, purified water into the air, where they form tiny ice crystals. The “snow” is icier, making it faster for athletes & harder to fall on #272sci #292sci
The Beijing winter #Olympics are almost 100% reliant on artificial snow. Snow cannons have sprayed approx. 185 mill litres of treated, purified water into the air, where they form tiny ice crystals. The “snow” is icier, making it faster for athletes & harder to fall on #272sci #292sci
The first chemistry textbook is thought to be Alchemica, published in 1597 by Andreas Libavius. It took the more scientific/reproducible parts of alchemical writings of the time & compiled them into something like a recipe book/laboratory manual. #WorldBookDay #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 11:21 AM
The first chemistry textbook is thought to be Alchemica, published in 1597 by Andreas Libavius. It took the more scientific/reproducible parts of alchemical writings of the time & compiled them into something like a recipe book/laboratory manual. #WorldBookDay #272sci
Catalysts speed up chemical reactions without being used up. Cat converters in cars allow nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide & unburned hydrocarbons to form water (harmless) & CO₂ (mostly harmless). They improve air quality & reduce smog. Global warming is another matter… #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:00 PM
Catalysts speed up chemical reactions without being used up. Cat converters in cars allow nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide & unburned hydrocarbons to form water (harmless) & CO₂ (mostly harmless). They improve air quality & reduce smog. Global warming is another matter… #272sci
Pencils have never contained lead. The Ancient Greek word “graphein”—to write or draw—gives us the name of what they actually contain: graphite. We say “lead pencil” because a graphite deposit discovered in Cumbria LOOKED like lead, and the name stuck #272sci #NationalPencilDay
November 18, 2024 at 10:14 AM
Pencils have never contained lead. The Ancient Greek word “graphein”—to write or draw—gives us the name of what they actually contain: graphite. We say “lead pencil” because a graphite deposit discovered in Cumbria LOOKED like lead, and the name stuck #272sci #NationalPencilDay
Bananas contain isoamyl acetate, an ester with a distinct banana-y scent. Modern bananas don’t have so much as those from pre-1990s, but it’s still there. It’s also an alarm pheromone for bees, so don’t eat bananas near a hive – you might get attacked #272sci 🍌 🐝 #Eurovision
November 18, 2024 at 7:46 AM
Bananas contain isoamyl acetate, an ester with a distinct banana-y scent. Modern bananas don’t have so much as those from pre-1990s, but it’s still there. It’s also an alarm pheromone for bees, so don’t eat bananas near a hive – you might get attacked #272sci 🍌 🐝 #Eurovision
It’s #InternationalAsteroidDay! Some companies hope to mine asteroids in space because it’s been speculated one 500m Pt-rich asteroid might have more platinum group metals (Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir & Pt – rare on Earth but very useful) than ever mined on Earth in human history #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 6:13 AM
It’s #InternationalAsteroidDay! Some companies hope to mine asteroids in space because it’s been speculated one 500m Pt-rich asteroid might have more platinum group metals (Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir & Pt – rare on Earth but very useful) than ever mined on Earth in human history #272sci
Bananas produce ethene C₂H₄ which switches off certain genes in plants. Others dominate causing faster ripening. It’s NOT true bananas ripen faster in the fridge—low temps slow down the chemical reactions—but a sealed container DOES help as the C₂H₄ gas can’t escape #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Bananas produce ethene C₂H₄ which switches off certain genes in plants. Others dominate causing faster ripening. It’s NOT true bananas ripen faster in the fridge—low temps slow down the chemical reactions—but a sealed container DOES help as the C₂H₄ gas can’t escape #272sci
cobalt is pink,
except when it’s blue,
it depends if there’s water,
isn’t chemistry cool?
#272sci #ValentinesDay 💕💙
(the rock is cobaltocalcite [aka cobaltoan calcite] and the pink is, yes, thanks to cobalt!)
except when it’s blue,
it depends if there’s water,
isn’t chemistry cool?
#272sci #ValentinesDay 💕💙
(the rock is cobaltocalcite [aka cobaltoan calcite] and the pink is, yes, thanks to cobalt!)
November 18, 2024 at 12:01 PM
cobalt is pink,
except when it’s blue,
it depends if there’s water,
isn’t chemistry cool?
#272sci #ValentinesDay 💕💙
(the rock is cobaltocalcite [aka cobaltoan calcite] and the pink is, yes, thanks to cobalt!)
except when it’s blue,
it depends if there’s water,
isn’t chemistry cool?
#272sci #ValentinesDay 💕💙
(the rock is cobaltocalcite [aka cobaltoan calcite] and the pink is, yes, thanks to cobalt!)
It’s #NationalPralinesDay! Praline usually contains almonds, pecans & hazelnuts. Only one of these is a technically a nut: almonds & pecans are drupes (fleshy outside, shell around a seed inside). Hazelnuts ARE nuts, but most things we think of as nuts, aren’t! #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 6:27 AM
It’s #NationalPralinesDay! Praline usually contains almonds, pecans & hazelnuts. Only one of these is a technically a nut: almonds & pecans are drupes (fleshy outside, shell around a seed inside). Hazelnuts ARE nuts, but most things we think of as nuts, aren’t! #272sci
It’s #OldRockDay! This is quartz, the second most abundant mineral on Earth after feldspar (aluminium silicate minerals). We now know quartz made up of a repeating units of SiO₄ atoms, but in the 1st century Pliny the Elder believed it was permanently frozen water ice #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 1:18 PM
It’s #OldRockDay! This is quartz, the second most abundant mineral on Earth after feldspar (aluminium silicate minerals). We now know quartz made up of a repeating units of SiO₄ atoms, but in the 1st century Pliny the Elder believed it was permanently frozen water ice #272sci
Lepidolite is a form of mica with the formula K(Li,Al)₃(Al,Si,Rb)₄O₁₀(F,OH)₂
(phew!). It’s the most abundant lithium-containing mineral & is a source of the metal, which has various uses including batteries. It occurs naturally Brazil. Enjoy the perfect cleavage 😉 #272sci
(phew!). It’s the most abundant lithium-containing mineral & is a source of the metal, which has various uses including batteries. It occurs naturally Brazil. Enjoy the perfect cleavage 😉 #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 11:30 AM
Lepidolite is a form of mica with the formula K(Li,Al)₃(Al,Si,Rb)₄O₁₀(F,OH)₂
(phew!). It’s the most abundant lithium-containing mineral & is a source of the metal, which has various uses including batteries. It occurs naturally Brazil. Enjoy the perfect cleavage 😉 #272sci
(phew!). It’s the most abundant lithium-containing mineral & is a source of the metal, which has various uses including batteries. It occurs naturally Brazil. Enjoy the perfect cleavage 😉 #272sci
Right! I'm going to start a series of tiny science explanations. Hashtag #272sci because (a) it's short (b) no one else is using it (c) 272 is the no. of characters I'll have after the tag & a space.
No threads, though I might add links. Def photos. Occasional vids. Let's go!
No threads, though I might add links. Def photos. Occasional vids. Let's go!
November 18, 2024 at 4:46 PM
Right! I'm going to start a series of tiny science explanations. Hashtag #272sci because (a) it's short (b) no one else is using it (c) 272 is the no. of characters I'll have after the tag & a space.
No threads, though I might add links. Def photos. Occasional vids. Let's go!
No threads, though I might add links. Def photos. Occasional vids. Let's go!
Leaves change in autumn because they LOSE pigment. Photosynthesising chlorophyll is green. As daylight & temps drop, plants reduce nutrient flow to energy-expensive leaves. Chlorophyll breaks down & the (also there) yellow xanthophylls & orange beta-carotenes are revealed #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:46 PM
Leaves change in autumn because they LOSE pigment. Photosynthesising chlorophyll is green. As daylight & temps drop, plants reduce nutrient flow to energy-expensive leaves. Chlorophyll breaks down & the (also there) yellow xanthophylls & orange beta-carotenes are revealed #272sci
Receipts like this are made of coated paper that changes colour when heated (thermal paper). The dye is trapped in a matrix which melts at high temps, releasing the dye. This then reacts with acid in the paper (usually bisphenol A, BPA) to produce its coloured form #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Receipts like this are made of coated paper that changes colour when heated (thermal paper). The dye is trapped in a matrix which melts at high temps, releasing the dye. This then reacts with acid in the paper (usually bisphenol A, BPA) to produce its coloured form #272sci
October 23rd is #MoleDay because there’re 6x10²³ particles in a “mole”—a unit chemists use to count molecules, ions & other particles. Atoms are tiny: 1 mole of carbon atoms only weighs 12 g. On the other hand, count all the grains of sand on Earth & you get approx 1 mole #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Coffee time! Milk forms froth because proteins (mainly casein) form spheres around the air, stabilising bubbles. Large fat droplets destabilise these bubbles which is why hot milk froths better—the fat melts. Skimmed milk froths best, but doesn’t taste creamy. Decisions… #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Coffee time! Milk forms froth because proteins (mainly casein) form spheres around the air, stabilising bubbles. Large fat droplets destabilise these bubbles which is why hot milk froths better—the fat melts. Skimmed milk froths best, but doesn’t taste creamy. Decisions… #272sci
Caffeine is a pesticide, evolved by plants to protect against insects by paralysing & killing them. Small doses in humans merely stimulate the central nervous system, but too much is toxic. Black coffee contains 50–235mg. Adults are advised to consume under 400mg a day #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Caffeine is a pesticide, evolved by plants to protect against insects by paralysing & killing them. Small doses in humans merely stimulate the central nervous system, but too much is toxic. Black coffee contains 50–235mg. Adults are advised to consume under 400mg a day #272sci
Coati (meerkat-like animals) eat toxic prey inc. millipedes. They rub them in sand before eating to stimulate defensive secretions, & this removes toxins such as para-quinone. This substance causes tissue necrosis & eye & lung irritation. Bombardier beetles also spray it #272sci
November 18, 2024 at 4:23 PM
Coati (meerkat-like animals) eat toxic prey inc. millipedes. They rub them in sand before eating to stimulate defensive secretions, & this removes toxins such as para-quinone. This substance causes tissue necrosis & eye & lung irritation. Bombardier beetles also spray it #272sci