Bringing food chemistry to life

Once again food gums come to the rescue of our building project. This time – sodium alginate. Here an I applying a slurry of a 2% (w/w) alginate solution containing peat moss, compost, and grass seeds to a newly exposed cut at the back of our driveway. The alginate forms a gel slowly in-situ using [...]

Can’t show the students for administrative reasons, but we had a good and educational time once again. Bringing you highlights from the second iteration of  ”BRINGING FOOD CHEMISTRY TO LIFE”. >>><<< DISPERSED SYSTEMS: Mayonnaise and egg white foams, and ways of messing them up that were instructive for the chemistry lesson. POLYMERS 101: Using the [...]

“The amazing structural properties of plants” – “Via “ScienceWise“  at the Australian National University. I came across this when I was searching for the strategies used by other people and institutions regarding efforts to expand the public awareness of science. It’s a little old, from February 2008, but I thought it of interest. Plant cell [...]

On Nova Science Now on PBS last night they reported about work studying the contents of small liquid inclusions in New Mexico’s Saledo salt beds that were  laid down in the Permian era 250 million years ago. The report showed fascinating electron micrographs of mats of cellulose in the inclusions – hi-fiber salt  no less! [...]

Via “Chowhound‘s” Food Media Liz Hickok makes sculptures of San Francisco in jello. This is Telegraph Hill shaking and wobbling. YouTube Direct You can see the whole “San Francisco in Jell-O” series on Youtube at her channel http://www.youtube.com/user/ehickok or with much more on her own website http://www.lizhickok.com/ Of course if you were at MIT you [...]

There are many elements needed to create a good and compelling class – good material, a willing instructor, but the essential element is enthusiastic and dedicated students.  It is a circular argument: enthusiastic students generate enthusiasm in the instructor, which generates enthusiasm in the students, and around we go again. I was privileged to have [...]

Forwarded from a student in this winter’s class- Tangential to food chemistry per se but not to the polymer science parts of it. Military use new gel that hardens on impact To quote the article “The substance relies on “intelligent molecules” that “shock lock” together to absorb energy and create a solid pad”. Seems to [...]