Science Activity : Zesty Meter

Why do most people grate orange or lemon skin (zest) rather than putting the juice in their cooking?
Lemon zest has a more intense citrus flavor than the juice inside. The citrus flavor comes from the limonene in small sacs in the peel. Please be careful not to grate the white part underneath. it will give us the icky taste. there are two types of limonene, 

l-limonene smells piney and turpentine like

d-limonene has a pleasing orange scent

What do you think will happen if we pinch a lemon peel next to a lit candle?

Why does the candle fire up more when we pinch the lemon peel next to it?

Limonene is a type of oil. Its like putting petrol in a bonfire, it will fire up more

Why does lime zest taste more sour than lemon and orange but has the least zest?
Between lime, orange and lemon, which has the most zest and makes the flame fire up most?
The common answer would be lime because it is the most sour between the three. But the limonene or oil sacs on a much thicker peel thus contains more limonene. The real contest is between lemon and orange. So far, LEMON would fire up the most.

p/s: oh yeah, I made garbage enzyme with the orange, lime and lemon peel leftovers, wanna check it out? Click here and here for the weekly update

reference
greenlivingtips.com
whatscookingamerica.net

Science Activity : Garbage Enzyme Update

pictures of my garbage enzyme weekly (I hope!). Click here to see what I put in it and it was the leftover from the other activity called zesty lemon.

20/7/2011

24/7/2011 opened to release gas yesterday & today
because it looks as if it was about to explode!

24/7/2011 the hissing is very exhilarating!

27/7/2011 there is still A LOT of gas!

4/8/2011 not much difference

12082011 no more bubbles and becomes murky

12082011 some of the peel has sink to the bottom of the bottle

17082011 half of the peels are at the bottom of the bottle & it starts to stink when I uncap it...stinky!

7/92011 all of the peel has sunk to the bottom..the smell is also not so nice...yerkh...

21/9/2011 getting less cloudy

21/9/2011

3/9/2011 17 days to go!

Science Activity : How to make Garbage Enzyme

Since I have been doing zesty meter activity all day long, I had a lot of orange, lemon and lime peel,  why don’t  I make garbage enzyme?
What we need:
1 :	3	: 10
Sugar  : preferably unprocessed sugar, brown sugar	Organic waste To avoid funky smell, use fruits, vegetables but not meat or bones. One auntie told me to use same type of fruit in one container to have an even BETTER smell	: Water Any plain water will do

Divide the bottle or container (it has to be air tight for the anaerobic, no or little oxygen, bacteria process) into 14 equal parts. Should have put sugar before the water to be more accurate but I hope its more or less enough for the bacteria to live on.



Points to remember
*We have to open the lid once in a while (once a day if we can) during the first month to release the gases formed or it will go kaboom!
*After three months, voila, the enzyme is ready to be used. Pour the liquid through a filter to remove all the residue. The liquid is the enzyme so we can use the residue to start a new batch of garbage enzymes, and is also an excellent fertilizer when blended and dried.

It would be awesome to see the changes in at least in a weekly basis, right?

Science Activity : Garbage Enzyme

A friend made a few bottles of garbage enzyme and gave me one last month. It had another month to go before I can use it. The organic waste was banana peel, orange peel and other fruits that she can't recall. It looked like this

2nd month, more or less

On 20/7/2011, it has some bubbles bubbling and some white stuff at the top. it has become a little bit clearer compared from the last time I checked (aiyo, forgot to jot down the date). Hurray! Can't wait to use it for my money plant, which is hanging alone in my bathroom (maybe I should hang another bottle of money plant to keep it company)

more than 3 month

What happened in the bottle?

Bacteria will produce enzyme to help breakdown the fruit. That's why it looked squishy and all mushed up.

Why is making garbage enzyme is the GREEN thing to do?

What is being produced during the enzyme production?

O3 (ozone) + NO3 (nitrate) + CO3 (carbon trioxide)

O3 reduces heavy metals (not the music genre) in clouds. Clouds that trap a lot of heavy metals appear darker so more heat will be trapped on earth. More heat trapped means our earth get hotter (as in temperature and not physical appearance)

the white stuff seems to be forming  on
top of the bottle 

NO3 is good nutrients for plants.

Why do we have to put sugar in the mix?

Sugar is food for the bacteria. Forgetting the sugar is a cruelty towards them.

Why do we have to leave for more than 3 months?

3 months is a reasonable dateline for the bacteria to finish the job. Most of the of the organic waste has been broken down after this period. the liquid is clear with less sign of activity (probably the bacteria are lazing around with nothing to do..hahaha) 

What can we do with the liquid after 3 months?

Fertilizer, of course but some say cleaning agent and much much more. It maybe a good cleaning agent, and deodorant (but the smell.. phew! no thank you) 

How to make garbage enzyme?

These are great websites in making garbage enzyme
mysmartmoneytips.com 
www.ehow.com

p/s ; I just made one bottle today using the leftovers of the zesty meter activity, wanna see? Click here and here for the weekly updates

Science Fact : Little Mei Mei*

This is a story I heard someone told me long time ago but it stuck in my head.

There once this 5 years old girl name Mei Mei. Most girls her age are curious, adventurous and have no care in the world. So was Mei Mei. She jumps around, can't keep still even for a minute and looks messy most of the time. Everyday, Mummy sends and picks Mei Mei up from school. Every day, after school, they would walk together hand-in-hand through a playground, a huge field and a candy store. And every day, Mummy would fuss over Mei Mei.

"Hold my hand and walk quietly beside me…  A good girl doesn’t run off to like that!"

       "Be a good girl and wash that dirt off your face before we go. Aiyah, so dirty,"

       "Why are your shoelaces untied?  Hurry and tie them up, or you will trip on it and fall,"

          One sunny afternoon after school, Mummy picks Mei Mei up. Mummy noticed that Mei Mei’s shoelaces are tied up perfectly and her face is washed clean. Mei Mei held mummy’s hand and walked quietly beside her through a playground, a huge field and a candy store. At home, everything went off like any other day. Like any other night, Mummy would tuck Mei Mei in. When she was about to close the door behind her, she heard Mei Mei sobbing quietly in her bed. Mummy went in again and asked Mei Mei why she was crying.

          What do you think Mei Mei said to Mummy? Why do you think Mei Mei was crying?

One of the behaviorism theories, operant conditioning where a person’s behavior can be strengthen or weaken with the right stimulus

B.F. Skinner Burrhus Frederic Skinner Behaviorism		Stimulus (what we do in response to the behavior)		Behavior
		Positive	Negative	Strengthen	Weaken
Operant Conditioning	Positive Reinforcement	ü		ü
	Negative Reinforcement		ü	ü
	Punishment		ü		ü
	Extinction				ü

Positive	Examples of stimulus	Negative
Reward, presents		Slap, spank
Smile, pat on the back,		Disapproving look, sneer, glare
Applause, cheer		Wrong buzzer sound

Any clue in why Mei Mei cried? Would Mei Mei most likely repeat her good behavior if Mummy continues to ignore her?

...pausing for dramatic effect...

Scroll down to continue the story

Through her tears Mei Mei replied, ”Haven’t I’ve been a good girl today? I’ve washed my face, tied up my shoelaces, held your hand and walked quietly beside you.  Did I do something wrong? Why didn’t you say anything?”

*name has been changed because I can't remember the real name

Science Fact : Angler Fish

Most of the 200 species of angler fish live in the deeeeeeep sea water of Atlanta and Antarctic. They are usually in a size of a teacup up to a size of a mini bar fridge. (picture taken from The Oatmeal website, I can't draw a decent cat even if my life depends on it)

Pic 1 : Angler Fish

How do angler fish got it's name?

It's very very dark down there so the have movable flesh that looks like and works like a fishing pole with a bio luminescent tip. (There are other bio luminescent creatures around, so it's not the most interesting part about angler fish) Other living creatures are attracted to the light as angler fish angling them closer. Thus the name ANGLER fish

How do angler fish eats?

Their eyes are very small and can't see much (erm, they can't see anything much in the pitch black) but so is the main population in the deep sea. Their mouth is huge so they have the ability to eat creatures twice their size as they can't find food very often. Angling their prey closer and closer with their lighted fishing rod until they are close enough to be eaten.

How do angler fish find partner and make baby angler fishes?

It's even too dark to find partner (gives the word blind date a whole new meaning). Quick quiz, which one is the male and which one is the female angler fish? (refer to Pic 1) The female is the big fish while the small fish on the bottom left is the male . That make is even harder to find the male in the dark, right? The male have a special ability to sniff out the female (their pheromones to be exact). Once the male found the female, he will bite her, hang on to her, and never let go. They are clingy not because of the male have serious self-esteem issues, rather their are serious parasites. (I drew the male on another piece of paper and use tape to stick it there Pic 1)

Pic 2 : MY drawing of the angler fish

Their body will shut down organ by organ starting with the digestive system until they only have their gonads (or sex organ) left. So after the first bite, the male with have a type of enzyme that will later fuse/connect his bloodstreams to hers, feeding from her and letting her do all the work. (to get this across, I tore the male into half, and stick it on top of the female Pic 1)

So is the female angler fish a doormat, letting the male live off of her?

Well, yes, but she is no doormat. She gets to have more than one male angler fish on her. The maleS most likely not realize that she is six-timing them behind her back. This ensures that when the female is ready to spawn, she has mates immediately available.

reference
The Oatmeal
How Stuff Works
National Geographic
TheFrogFishChannel

Poetry : Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?

Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 

Written by IdaXu Rais

January 17th, 2003

8.30pm

Ada apa dengan cinta?

just another teenage love story

bermain dengan perasaan dan hati

Maura, Karmen, Aleya, Cinta dan Milly

best of friends, sahabat sejati

just another excuse for a close knit clique

don't care 'bout no one else

don't care 'bout nobody

Rangga dan Cinta

just another pair of lovey dovey

another Romeo and Juliet in history

adequte, typical and pure fantasy

membuai remaja lena dalam mimpi

Reality,

not everything is peachy

but hey,

after the movie

I feel there's still hope for me!

Wrote this during the 'Ada Apa Dengan Cinta' movie craze hit Malaysia. Saw it once on tv but didn't understand it (the Indonesian accent was a bit too thick to understand) then a friend bought the dvd with English subtitles. Overall, a cute chick flick plus the attractive visuals also help ;p

Joke : Second Opinion

Munkey lost his cathood too
but he's doing just fine

Love this. Not only I find it funny everytime I read it, but it's a reminder that we  have to remember to check where we get our advices from. People just have different point of views & they are masters of what they do. We just have to listen properly & be ready to change :D Quick fixes cost us a lot more than spending time to figure out the underlying problem

SECOND OPINION:

The doctor said, 'Joe, the good news is I can cure your headaches. 

The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache. 

The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.' 
 
Joe was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for. 

He had no choice but to go under the knife. When he left the hospital, he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself. As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life. 
 
He saw a men's clothing store and thought, 'That's what I need... A new suit.' 

He entered the shop and told the salesman, 'I'd like a new suit.' 

The elderly tailor eyed him briefly and said, 'Let's see... size 44 long.' 
Joe laughed, 'That's right, how did you know?' 
'Been in the business 60 years!' the tailor said. 
Joe tried on the suit it fit perfectly. 

As Joe admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, 'How about a new shirt?' 
Joe thought for a moment and then said, 'Sure.' 

The salesman eyed Joe and said, 'Let's see, 34 sleeves and 16-1/2 neck. 
Joe was surprised, 'That's right, how did you know?' 
'Been in the business 60 years.' 
Joe tried on the shirt and it fit perfectly. 

Joe walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, 
'How about some new underwear?' 
Joe thought for a moment and said, 'Sure.' 
The salesman said, 'Let's see... size 36. 
Joe laughed, 'Ah ha! I got you! I've worn a size 34 since I was 18 years old.' 

The salesman shook his head, 'You can't wear a size 34. A size 34 would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a headache.'
 

New suit - $400
New shirt - $36
New underwear - $6
Second Opinion – PRICELESS!

Science Activity : Everlasting Apple

What do you think will happen to slices of green apple if we put it on a table for more than a month? (if one of your family member doesn't pick it up & eat it) the apple slices will turn a shade of brown, becomes soft, looks wrinkly & maybe smell bad in others words, the apple will rot. So what can we do to maintain an apple's color (in this case green), firmness, shape, & skin that are shiny & smooth?
I've prepared this, like in the picture, on 17/9/09 & was supposed to open it after 2 weeks of so, but obviously I didn't. I finally did on 21/6/2011. I decided I'm gonna make a new batch later & put it up here in another post.
What do you think will happen if we keep apple slices in a container filled with baking powder for more than a month? The baking powder will clumped up while the apple slices will shrink, turn dark brown & becomes very very dry. Container 1 : Apple slices + Baking powder
What do you think will happen if we keep the apple slices in a container filled with salt for more than a month? The apple slices will turn light brown, still firm but watery, thus the shape and size almost the same. There is also a distinct smell & some crystallization at the bottom Container 2 : Apple slices + Salt
What do you think will happen if we keep apple slices in a container filled with baking powder mixed with salt for more than a month? The apple slices will turn brown, slightly dried up on the surface. Feels a bit spongy when we squeeze them. Container 3 : Apple slices + Baking powder + Salt
Results Size Color Firmness (squeeze test) Skin texture Baking powder Small Dark brown Hard Wrinkly + dry Salt Remain the same Light brown Firm Smooth + wet Baking powder + salt Remain the same brown Soft Wrinkly + dry What do you think is keeping the apple slices firm? The liquid or moisture inside. We can see although plant cells have cell walls, they still need liquid inside of it to maintain its firmness. In Container 1, baking powder absorbed all the moisture in the apple slices & gets clumped up. The cells in the apple slices have lost their moisture, thus they lost their firmness & original shape. Why do you think the apple slices changed color from green to brown? The color changes show that the apple slices has been oxidized by the air. In Container 1, we can see nothing is preventing the apple from being exposed by air, thus the dark brown color whilst in Container 2, salt most of the oxidation from happening (light brown). Why do we need to preserve things? Food In place where food is difficult to find due to  weather (eg desert or Artic) or   location (eg outer space)          Taste good like serunding, jeruk or asam. Culture or belief Leaders from the ancient world believed that preserving their bodies (mummification) will give them an advantage in the after life reference Ask a Scientist Knowswhy.com