Vincent Summers, Author at Quirky Science

15Jan 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Chocolate Alkaloid Theobromine

Chocolate is everyone’s favorite. It is a hard core sweet. There is chocolate candy, pudding, cake, and pie. And don't forget chocolate fudge, brownies, and doughnuts. Yet it must be asked, has the average person even heard of the chocolate alkaloid theobromine? Coffee Chocolate is not our only "favorite" food. We have bacon. We have beer. We have coffee. We have pizza. Just as coffee contains an alkaloid caffeine, there is a chocolate alkaloid theobromine. Structure of Theobromine? An alkaloid is a natural occurring, nitrogen containing base. Alkaloids produce physiological effects. These are sometimes good, sometimes bad. Theobromine is a xanthine alkaloid. Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid. There is little difference between the two. In fact, there is only one methyl group difference (‒CH3)! Compare the images. Theobromine has the…

14Jan 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

My Love Affair with the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Physics

In love with the law - the second law of thermodynamics... When I was a child, I used to like to bake. As I stirred the various ingredients together, I thought that if I moved the dough around faster and faster the integrity of each ingredient would be restored. I would see, perhaps, the clear round white of the egg with the yellow yolk inside. However, no matter how long I stirred, that pleasure was not vouchsafed me. The Second Law of Thermodynamics Later in my life, I heard about the Second Law of Thermodynamics (for short, Second Law1). You experience this when You mix batter for a cake, You accidentally drop an egg on the floor, You run your car into a tree, You burn a hole in the…

13Jan 2016 by Vincent Summers 6 Comments

Maximize Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Production

Chemistry

[caption id="attachment_11780" align="alignright" width="480"] What fuel do you use?[/caption] Heating one’s home is important to life and comfort. However, as in other areas of life, there are issues to consider. Burning fuel for heat releases carbon dioxide greenhouse gas. But now, let’s flip that. Let’s consider it from the “Devil’s perspective.” Consider the production of destructive carbon dioxide as the intended accomplishment, with the release of heat as a side effect. Fuel of Choice The fuel we choose is based in part on cost in dollars and cents. Some of our choices are heating oil, wood, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and coal. In terms of cost, how do these compare? Back to the flip, how efficient are these fuels in maximizing carbon dioxide greenhouse gas production? For simplicity’s sake, we…

07Dec 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Guar Gum – Uses, Contraindications, and Diversity

Chemistry, Food

Through past decades, food products have been formulated and reformulated. This has been done so as to achieve good quality at lower cost. One of the ways to reduce cost is to replace high price thickeners with cheap substitutes. These include seaweed extracts and vegetable gums. Among them are carageenan, locust bean, xanthan and guar gums. What exactly is guar gum? From Beans to Endosperm Guar beans are harvested from the guar gum bush. It is grown in India and Pakistan. In the U.S., it is found in Texas. Gums are used to impart creaminess. They are thus added to dairy products. They also are used in place of ingredients that contain gluten. The best known food in which this has occurred is certain breads. The endosperm is the desired…

24Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Orange Oranges is an Historic Controversy

Food, Health

[caption id="attachment_10239" align="alignright" width="440"] Orange oranges.[/caption] As a kid many moons ago, I was told there really aren't any orange oranges. That is to say, they aren’t naturally orange, but are really green. Is this true? Not entirely, but it is partly true. Many oranges do turn orange, at least in part. Temperature and sunlight levels are relevant. The green color present in some ripe fruits is chlorophyll. Yet, when we go to the store, we see oranges that are at least mostly orange, usually completely so. Oranges, you see are often dyed. Now you may have already known that. But did you know there once was a controversy over it? We transcribe a Palm Springs, CA Desert Sun news article for 1958. The Supreme Court Rules Washington (UPI) –…

18Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers 4 Comments

Pompeii: Frozen Animal Statues?

Education, History

Who is unacquainted with the dreadful eruption of Mt. Vesuvius? That volcanic disaster brought raining death by heat, smoke, and ash. Numerous detailed plaster casts of the dead portray life’s activities in Pompeii and other towns in clear detail. Men, women, and children lie in postures that prove how quickly they died. A cross-section of all aspects of life is seen – whether at home, work, or elsewhere. Recently, the concept that most died from the volcanic ash was seriously reconsidered. A more probable explanation is that Pompeii victims died by flash heating. This understanding arose from a comparison of the way volcano victims died in other, nearby towns. Questions Arise But a question arises: What about wild, farm, and domestic animals? Are there “statues” of these creatures to be found?…

13Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

The History of Aspirin

Health

In the mid 1900s, the pain killer of choice was plain aspirin AKA acetylsalicylic acid. Today, there is a host of pain killing choices. These depend upon the nature of the pain as well as the health issues of the patient. How does the laboratory relate to aspirin history? It was First Although during the 1950s and 1960s, other painkillers (most notably acetaminophen and ibuprofen) made a dramatic entrance into the pain killer market, aspirin was first. Here is the story. From ancient times, it was known the bark of the willow tree (rich in salicylates) possessed special properties. A tea made from this bark was useful in fighting fever. It also aided in reducing inflammation and pain. Simple salicylic acid has the structural formula, (HO-C6H4-COOH) Aspirin History: the Laboratory…

13Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Aluminum Was a Precious Metal

Chemistry, Technology

[caption id="attachment_10187" align="alignright" width="440"] Bas-relief aluminum door in the Hunt Library.[/caption] Various materials and artifacts bring a high price. This is because of their beauty, low availability, or craftsmanship. Some desirable objects are so rare we consider them precious. These include platinum, silver, and gold. But not aluminum. Yet during the 19th Century this bright and shiny metal was highly valued. How can that be so? Aluminum Deposits It is the most common metal in earth. It is not especially beautiful. So why did the metal once bring so high a price? In a sense it was scarce. It was unavailable. Availability [caption id="attachment_20663" align="alignright" width="200"] 1893 cast aluminum angel statue, Piccadilly Circus, London - Image by Michael Reeve[/caption] Diamonds are highly prized. Yet, they are fairly common. The number…

11Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Lactones: What are They? How Are They Made?

Chemistry

The simplest lactones are unsubstituted cyclic esters that can conceivably be prepared from single linear molecules that contain both the alcohol and carboxylic acid functionalities. Notice the featured image of this article. It pictures four of the simplest lactones. The single molecule preparations from linear structures should be: HO-CH₂-COOH → α-acetolactone + H₂O HO-CH₂-CH₂-COOH → β-propiolactone + H₂O HO-CH₂-CH₂-CH₂-COOH → γ-butyrolactone + H₂O HO-CH₂-CH₂-CH₂-CH₂-COOH → δ-valerolactone + H₂O α-acetolactone Known more simply as acetolactone, this molecule is unstable and hence transient. The synthetic reaction for acetolactone written above, would produce close to 100 percent of the desired product, if it were stable. β-propiolactone [caption id="attachment_10179" align="alignright" width="308"] Preparation from carbon monoxide and ethylene oxide.[/caption] Sometimes called simply propiolactone, this molecule is stable, but is being phased out for many applications,…

09Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

What is Carrageenan?

Food

[caption id="attachment_10160" align="alignright" width="480"] Cultivated Chondrus crispus seaweed.[/caption] Carrageenan is a thickening agent and stabilizer. It is derived from seaweed. Would you believe it is frequently used in dairy products? One example is commercially formulated chocolate milk. Thickening the base imparts a feeling of creaminess to the milk. And yes, this seaweed derived thickener is a major ingredient in less expensive (read: cheap) brands of ice cream. Vegetarians Its origin makes carrageenan a natural for vegetarian products. One historically important variety comes from Chondrus crispus seaweed. It is very often called Irish Moss. It replaces animal based gelatin. Another well known form comes from the seaweed Gigartina stellata (which is called Carrageen Moss). Chemically Chemically, the thickener is not simply one substance. It is a whole family of substances, the…