Links review

The Color of Minerals

I like the images. It definitely helps to see the photos of minerals and their color instead of visualizing it.

I like the Luminescence page.

I am most intrigued by bioluminescence. So that's what the fireflies glow is!

Alkaline Earth Metal-Magnesium

I started researching about the element but was immediately drawn to what its functions in our bodies.

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant.

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Good sources of magnesium:
Green vegetables, some legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains...

Looks very green and brown to me.

Colors in my Fridge

A lot of beige/brown/white, some orange, red, purple, green, dark green.

Also have a box of mochi (Japanese rice cake) my mom gave me which has FD&C Red #3, Yellow #5, Blue #1

I have to admit that even though I have a lot of greens in the fridge, Fuji eats more of it than I do.

Science Toys

I wish we have a lab to science experiments at AIMC. But I guess we don't even need a lab to do these experiments. They do seem easy and fun to do. I like the idea of using household materials. It's like in art classes where we would transform ordinary, worthless "trash" into something interesting.

Alchemy – science, magic, art – or all three?

At first, when I came across the topic of alchemy, I kept asking in my head, "Why did they want to do that? What's the point?" I would like to believe that you can transform other metals into gold. However, what I believe is not important to the alchemist. It is more important for the alchemist to keep on believing in the possibility, to keep yearning.

What do a scientist, a magician, an alchemist, and an artist share in common? A deep yearning, a sense of wonder, the belief in what they do, and the will to pursue something that other people may think is unreal.

Halogen of the Week--Iodine

Elemental iodine is a dark grey solid with a faint metallic luster. When heated at ordinary air pressures it sublimes to a violet gas. The name iodine is taken from the Greek ioeides which means "violet colored". It was discovered in 1811 by Courtois.
Commercially iodine is recovered from seaweed and brines. It is an important trace element in the human diet, required for proper function of the thyroid gland. Thus iodine is added to table salt ("iodized") to insure against iodine deficiencies. Radioactive isotopes of iodine are used in medical tracer work involving the thyroid and also to treat diseases of that gland.

What is a Mole? Link review

The information was so dense on that page that I just kinda got lost in it. I think that's because of how the page is laid out. It was just a gray mass to me after a while.

Avogadro's Hypothesis

I got the first question wrong.

"When the results of those experiments are as predicted, it lends support to the hypothesis as a good explanation, and its eventual acceptance as a theory."

I guess I confused theory with scientific law.

Inert Gas of the Week--Krypton

Krypton is a far-distant planet which was the home world of Superman until it exploded into fragments as the result of a cataclysmic chain reaction originating at the planet's core.

Okay, now Krypton the inert gas.

Krypton is characterized by its brilliant green and orange spectral lines. Krypton is present in the air to the extent of about 1 ppm. The atmosphere of Mars has been found to contain 0.3 ppm of krypton. It is a rare and expensive gas. Because of this, uses and application is limited. Krypton is used in certain photographic flash lamps for high-speed photography. Some fluorescent light bulbs are filled with a mixture of krypton and argon gases. Krypton gas is also combined with other gases to make luminous signs that glow with a greenish-yellow light.

Atom Economy

I learned that atom economy describes the conversion efficenty of a chemical process in terms of atoms involved. In an ideal chemical process the amount of starting materials or reactants equals the amount of all products generated and no atom is wasted.

Catalyst of the Week

Antimony (Sb)
No. 51 on the Periodic Table.

More than 90% of all polyester worldwide is currently produced using an antimony. Other than antimony, titanium and germanium catalysts are used in some specific fields. Each exhibits its own catalytic activity and has both advantages and disadvantages. Although much research has aimed at modifying these catalysts, a solution that thoroughly satisfies market needs has yet to be found. Antimony catalysts lead to the problematic formation of insoluble particles and the gray discoloration in polyester, encouraging businesses to try non-antimony catalysts, a trend of recent.

Hmm...does that mean that if I buy a purple polyester fleece sweater, it will turn gray eventually?

Living with Chemicals

First of all, I found this site that seems to have green+easy recipes for homebrewed cleaners:
http://www.thegreenguide.org/article/diy/household

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I just moved here so I haven't accumulated a collection of chemicals under the sink YET. Hopefully I can keep it that way.

In my old apartment, I used Simple Green a lot. It is biodegradable and non-toxic, and can be used to clean just about anything. Also, vinegar+water for wood floors is great.

But here is a list of what I have under the sink:

Combat Ant Baits--Quick Kill Formula:
Active ingredient: Fipronil..........0.01%
Other ingredients: .......................99.9% (not individually listed)

All I know is this thing doesn't work. The ants just keep coming back. Any one know of a green, possibly humane, way to get rid of ants?

Trader Joe's Next to Godilness Multi-Purpose cleaner:
Water, cedarwood and clary sage essential oils, grain alcohol, natural surfactants, color and water.

Trader Joe's Next to Godliness Liquid Laundry Detergent
Vegetable and Coconut derived/based surfactants, earth salt, soy based fabric softener, cellulose optical brightener, lavender oil, water.