Vincent Summers, Author at Quirky Science

27Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Graphene Properties, Applications, and Production

[caption id="attachment_16970" align="alignright" width="406"] Graphene Lattice - By AlexanderAlUS - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0[/caption] Carbon varieties include diamonds, graphite1, soot, Buckminsterfullerene, and tiny nanotubes. Despite these amazing forms, there is still another form of carbon, perhaps the most amazing of all. Graphene. Discovery Graphene is a super material. For its successful isolation, André Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, were awarded the 2010 Nobel prize. Each sheet is one atom thick. It resembles a hurricane fence. First Production The first effort at isolation involved thinning a pad of graphite. Adhesive tape was attached to the sides of the pad it was pulled apart. In time, a single layer was left. There are two easy ways to visualize this. First, imagine a flaky biscuit with many layers. You peel the layers off,…

24Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Sulforaphane in Shepherd’s Purse: Anti-inflammatory, Anti-bacterial

Medicine, Plants

[caption id="attachment_16649" align="alignright" width="480"] The shepherd's purse or poor man's pepper.[/caption] In 2014, the Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology reported the results of a study on the anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). The study spotlighted two compounds formed from the interaction of two other compounds found within the plant, glucoraphanin (a glucosinolate) and the enzyme myrosinase. When these two substances contact each other, they produce raphanin and sulforaphane. It is the sulforaphane (1-isothiocyanato-4-methylsulfinylbutane) that particularly displays the desired properties. Shepherd’s purse is not alone in producing this interesting substance. Others in the same family (Brassica) include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels’ sprouts, kale, and collard greens. The most common way glucoraphanin and myrosinase are brought together to produce our anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial is by chewing! [caption…

19Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Interior Angles of Polygons Starting with a Triangle

Logic, Mathematics

Regular polygons are closed curves with a set number of sides and interior angles, each of identical value. How can one calculate the interior angles of polygons? An equilateral triangle has three equal sides and three equal interior angles. Each angle is 60° or π/3 radians, adding up to 180° or π radians total. A square has four equal sides and four equal interior angles. Each interior angle is 90° or π/2 radians, adding up to 360° or 2π radians total. Interior Angles of Polygons A short chart of additional polygons with their interior angles provides the following data: Pentagon 5 interior angles of 108° (540° or 3π radians total) Hexagon 6 interior angles of 120° (720° or 4π radians total) Heptagon 7 interior angles of about 128.57° (900° or 5π radians total)…

15Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Cats and Dogs Instinctive Behavior – One Difference

animals, People

[caption id="attachment_16506" align="alignright" width="440"] Best Buds[/caption] Cats and dogs. No human can truly understand the mind of a cat or of a dog. But pretty fair conclusions can be drawn if we observe, think, and meditate on their actions and the manner in which these are carried out. Attempting to put this into practice, I deduced that there is one particular difference between cats and dogs and their instinctive behavior. Particularly is this so in connection with cleanliness, in their "taking care of business." The Cat When a cat (especially a female cat) wants to do its business, it seeks out an isolated, generally quiet locale. It usually digs into the soil (we’re disregarding cat litter at the moment) and then squats to do its thing. Afterward, it turns around…

13Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Turpentine Pine Tree Resin Products: Why So Valuable?

Chemistry, Plants

[caption id="attachment_16454" align="alignright" width="380"] Pine resin. CCA 3.0 SA Unported Maksim.[/caption] Turpentine was once a very common household solvent. It seemed as if every household had a can in their garage. Turpentine is produced by distillation of pine tree resin. The solid remaining after distillation is called rosin. Doubtless the decreased household use of turpentine is because of an increase in water-based products such as paints, replacing oil-based equivalents. Petroleum based solvents have contributed to the decline. Solvent Only? Still, turpentine is more than just a useful solvent. It can be separated into fragments sometimes referred to as isolates. The primary isolate is pine oil, which is used, among other things, in household cleaners. Turpentine yields compounds that are useful in chemical synthesis. Chemicals readily available from nature that can…

09Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Bird’s Eye or Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)

Medicine, Plants

Birdseye Speedwell, also known as Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica), is a little blue, unobtrusive yet attractive blue flower with a white center. It has darker blue parallel markings from the center to the tips of each petal. The reason these beautiful flowers tend to go unnoticed is their diminutive size. They grow as weeds in your lawn. Get Acquainted with Veronica There are descriptive details for the Speedwell provided on line—its structure, growth habits, even its eradication—but little is spoken of its proven usefulness or its chemistry. Legend (if you will) has it that the little blue-and-white flower is helpful in treating a plethora of ailments, but especially in relaxing tense muscles in the neck and shoulder area and in treating skin rashes. Rich in Glycosides [caption id="attachment_16381" align="alignright" width="230"]…

06Mar 2017 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Short, Medium, and Long Grain Rice Vary in Use and Starch Profile

Chemistry, Food

Rice is, technically, grass seed! It is the most widely consumed food staple in the world. Rice is a dietary starch, as are maize and potatoes. There are nearly innumerable commercially available rice varieties—more than 40,000. One means of classifying rice varieties is by grain length. Rice of varying grain lengths vary also in starch profiles. Perhaps the most popular rice in the Western World is long grain rice. Starch Profile versus Grain Length L.G. rice features grains about four to five times as long as they are wide. It is sometimes sold as brown rice. However, frequently it is milled or polished to remove the bran. It is then sold as white rice. What is the starch profile of this form of rice? The two most important starches are…

27Feb 2017 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Is Economics a Science? Giffen’s Paradox Shouts “No!”

Education, Humor

[caption id="attachment_16247" align="alignright" width="440"] A pair-o-ducks, get it? Paradox?[/caption] Giffen's Paradox? Economics is the study of the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth. Some view economics almost like a religion—certainly as if it was a science complete with laws and principles, predicting behavior and outcome. We are told the value of an object relates to the law of supply and demand. If three people want an object and there are only two available, it should command a higher price than if there were only two people and three were available. [caption id="attachment_16546" align="alignleft" width="270"] Namesake Sir Robt. Giffen.[/caption] Giffen's Paradox But now, say you have a new hand-held device. Sales are not the best, even though you offer a low, get-acquainted price. What do you do as a businessman to…

27Feb 2017 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Vinyl Alcohol, Tautomerism, and Earth’s Atmosphere

Chemistry, Meteorology

[caption id="attachment_16229" align="alignright" width="480"] Sea spray salt aerosol[/caption] The simplest alcohols contain only carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Whereas water contains a hydrogen atom attached to a hydroxyl group, a simple alcohol consists of a chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms attached to a hydroxyl group. Vinyl alcohol is one of the simplest. In fact, it differs by just two hydrogen atoms from ordinary ethyl alcohol. Ethyl alcohol or ethanol is written, CH₃CH₂–OH. Vinyl alcohol or ethenol is CH₂=CH–OH. Though very similar, ethyl alcohol exhibits very ordinary, straightforward behavior, typical of an alcohol. Ethenol, however, due to its double bond, behaves differently. Tautomerization Vinyl alcohol rearranges slightly under ordinary conditions. It tautomerizes to the more stable species acetaldehyde. This variety of tautomerization is termed keto-enol tautomerism. The keto part refers to…

22Feb 2017 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Purines and Gout and Our Joints

Health, History

Gout is a condition of the joints and nearby tissues. The iconic feature is extreme swelling with great pain. Until recently, gout was considered a wealthy man’s disease. The development of gout is not bacterial or viral. Rather, it is a matter of body chemistry. Diet is the most controllable factor. Purines and gout were associated with consuming an abundance of rich food. That food included oysters, red meat, and strong brew. Purines and Gout Was an attack on diet a valid call? Somewhat. Gout pain and swelling arises from needle-like crystal deposits. Chemically, these crystals are the hydrated sodium salt of uric acid. Now red meat is rich in purines (we're not changing the subject). Compare the ring structures of purine and of uric acid. Very similar, no? They…