Chemistry of a hurricane

Posted on by

In a city frequently battered by the Gulf of Mexico’s windy progeny, one could be forgiven for thinking that a drink called ‘the Hurricane’ might be a bit tasteless. But it is in fact, a very tasty rum-based cocktail, and the classic drink of New Orleans, home of the ACS spring conference 2013.

Philip tests a hurricane cocktail at the ACS New Orleans meeting. For science!

The Hurricane was invented, so the story goes, during the second world war. Whisky supplies were scarce and spirits distributors took advantage of this to shift the more plentiful, but less popular, rum by packaging a hefty order of the spirit with any whisky they sold to bars. Forced to buy large quantities of rum, barman Pat O’Brien began bundling generous helpings of it with lime juice and passion fruit, which went down a storm with the local sailors. Incidentally, the drink is not actually named for those occasional city-levelling ventose visitations, but for the glass in which it is served, which resembles the glass casing of a hurricane lamp, designed to safeguard the kerosene flame against the blustery gusts that might snuff it out.

70 years later, as several thousand chemists beat a path to Bourbon Street, the odds that one of them might get analytical on the city’s cultural icon seem pretty good. And, indeed, the conference boasts a whole session dedicated to booze: ‘Chemistry of the bar’, in which the first order of business was flavour chemist Neil Da Costa’s GC-MS breakdown of the hurricane.

The recipe calls for about 120cm3 rum so, as you might expect, ethanol is fairly dominant. But there are also contributions from the oak barrels in which the rum is aged: some sweet vanillin; guaiacol bringing burnt, smoky flavours; syringaldehyde, lending a floral spiciness; and even a little coconut from coniferyl alcohol. A large limonene and citral spike courtesy of the lime juice freshens up the profile. The modern recipe also includes plenty of the rum precursor and also grenadine, whose role, it turns out, is mostly cosmetic – the tannins it contains giving the hurricane its distinctive red colouring. The whole thing is served over ice, which acts to refresh the consumer and, as Da Costa points out, keeps the delicate fruit juice aldehydes from oxidising to acids.

‘What’s “n” in this experiment?’ Laura wonders

Da Costa’s analysis certainly seems thorough but as dedicated science journalists, we are bound by codes of scientific conduct and our journalistic integrity to determine the facts for ourselves. Thus, Laura and I have put our livers on the line to see if we can duplicate (perhaps even triplicate) the findings. Applying our own sophisticated sensing equipment to the task, we conducted an independent analysis of the hurricane and I’m pleased to confirm that our results are largely in support of Da Costa’s. Our instruments struggled to detect the intricacies of the rum profile amid the citrus and sugar, but there was certainly a large positive response for ethanol.

The Big Easy’s other classic cocktail is the Sazerac – a whisky-based drink carrying what was once the defining element of the cocktail – bitters. These ethanolic infusions of plant roots, bark and so on are packed with terpenes that give aromatic, floral tones. Originally sold as patent medicines, they found their way into drinks in the 19th century, when the Royal Navy added them to gin (creating pink gin). Analytical chemist Arielle Johnson has been taking a closer look at bitters to identify the compounds they contain and the flavours they deliver. Having fallen out of favour for many years, bitters are enjoying a comeback in the craft cocktail market, so Johnson is sharing her work with local barmen and women to develop new recipes. We may soon see the first products in the nascent field of rational cocktail design. Cheers!

Philip Robinson

Digg This  Reddit This  Stumble Now!  Share on Facebook  Bookmark this on Delicious  Share on LinkedIn  Bookmark this on Technorati  Post on Twitter  Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)  

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2013/04/11/chemistry-of-a-hurricane/

Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan’s Talk ‘Chemistry’ During the New York Power List Photo Shoot – Video

Posted on by


Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan #39;s Talk #39;Chemistry #39; During the New York Power List Photo Shoot
Behind the scenes at THR #39;s Live with Kelly Michael photo shoot, former football star Michael Strahan revealed that his favorite interview was with Dolly Pa...

By: The Hollywood Reporter

Read more:
Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan's Talk 'Chemistry' During the New York Power List Photo Shoot - Video

Driving on Mars, where the streets have no name

Posted on by

Mission controllers at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have turned off some of their instruments for a few weeks and have sent many of their staff on holiday. Communications between Earth and their spacecraft on Mars will diminish during this period. 

But do not fear, this is not an extraordinary event. It happens every two years, lasts for about two weeks and is due to a solar conjunction. To explain it in a few words, it means that Earth and Mars are at opposite sides of the Sun, which is obscuring the two planets and is thus preventing regular communication between us and the red planet. It is an interesting phenomenon and, if you are curious, you can watch this video and find out how it affects the work at Nasa.

In any case, this is the fifth solar conjunction for Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity since its arrival in 2004 and will be the first one for Curiosity.

You would think that with so many Nasa staff on holiday we would hear less about the explorations on the red planet. And you would be so wrong… In fact, taking advantage of the enforced break, institutions worldwide have invited those working on the rovers to give public lectures about their work so there will be plenty of talks about Mars in the coming weeks.

© NASA/JPL-Caltech

At the RSC we couldn’t let this opportunity go by and will be hosting not one but two events with two different speakers from Nasa to discuss the adventures of  Curiosity.

The first of the two talks will be hosted by the Northern Ireland Assembly’s All-Party Group on Science and Technology, in conjunction with Matrix, and will feature a presentation by Nagin Cox, formerly Deputy Head of Engineering for Nasa’s Mars Curiosity Rover. This will be on Monday 15 April from 3.30pm to 5.00pm, in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast. If you live near and want to attend you can register here.

The second event, named Where the streets have no name, will be in London on Thursday 18 April at 6.30pm and will be streamed live online so anyone can watch from anywhere in the world!  Mars rovers’ driver Paolo Bellutta, who also works at Nasa JPL, will talk about his work, and driving Curiosity and other rovers on Mars.

The Chair for the evening will be Quentin Cooper, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Material World, and he’ll be taking questions via @RSC_Comms and #RSCpubliclecture. 

Also, don’t forget you can follow Curiosity and Opportunity via twitter at @MarsCuriosity and @MarsRovers. The planets will soon move away from the conjunction and you will once again be able to receive first-hand information on the latest mission to Mars!

 Chiara Ceci

Digg This  Reddit This  Stumble Now!  Share on Facebook  Bookmark this on Delicious  Share on LinkedIn  Bookmark this on Technorati  Post on Twitter  Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)  

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2013/04/10/driving-on-mars-where-the-streets-have-no-name/

Want to work for Chemistry World?

Posted on by

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to come and work for us here at Chemistry World towers? If the thought has ever crossed your mind (or not, it doesn’t offend us if it hasn’t!) this could be your lucky day. We are currently advertising a couple of vacancies not to be missed. Whether you are new to the field of science communication, want to test whether this is the right career for you or you are an experienced journalist we’ve got something for everyone… Read on.

Business editor: We’re looking for an exceptional journalist, familiar with the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, to temporarily manage the business news section and regular business features.

For more info and to apply click here.

Science writer internship: The RSC is looking for a student member to work as a science writer in our editorial office this summer. You will gain experience working for two of our publications: Chemistry World and Education in Chemistry. This eight week position is supported by the Marriott Bequest Trust and will provide a hands-on introduction to the complete editorial process.

For more info and to apply click here. I recommend you also read Patrick’s blog here.

We’re looking for bright, ambitious people who are passionate about Chemistry World and communicating science. If that’s you, get in touch. Follow the links or, if you need more information, contact us at chemistryworld@rsc.org.

Bibiana Campos Seijo

Digg This  Reddit This  Stumble Now!  Share on Facebook  Bookmark this on Delicious  Share on LinkedIn  Bookmark this on Technorati  Post on Twitter  Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)  

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2013/04/09/want-to-work-for-chemistry-world/

Broad bobbin collar too fashionable?

Posted on by
Govert Flinck, Portrait of Dirck Jacobsz. Leeuw

Govert Flinck, Portrait of Dirck Jacobsz. Leeuw and elemental distribution images of the painting.

While X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is a well-established technique for the investigation of paintings, the apparatus used are usually custom built and not widely available. Now, Matthias Alfeld and colleagues have developed a portable macro XRF spectrometer to look at paintings in situ.

The team used the device to look at a portrait by Govert Flinck, a Dutch painter who was a protégé of the great Rembrandt. Interestingly, they found that originally the subject was painted wearing a broad bobbin lace collar and long lace cuffs but this was toned down for the final version, possibly because it was too trendy.

The device also made it possible to visualise Flinck’s first sketches on the canvas before he got to work with the paint. The authenticity of this particular painting was never disputed but being able to see sketches is a good indication of whether a painting is an original or a copy.

Which paintings would you like to look at with the device? I wonder how many fake Van Goghs could be uncovered?

Jennifer Newton

Digg This  Reddit This  Stumble Now!  Share on Facebook  Bookmark this on Delicious  Share on LinkedIn  Bookmark this on Technorati  Post on Twitter  Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)  

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2013/04/10/broad-bobbin-collar-too-fashionable/

Chemexplosions

Posted on by

One of the stories published in the April issue of Chemistry World started a wider conversation about the value, or otherwise, of explosions in chemistry outreach. Do we over rely on flashes and bangs or do chemistry bangs beget engagement?

Copyright M-H Jeeves

The original article, titled On Ilkley Moor bar TNT, appeared on The Last Retort and started with quite a controversial opening paragraph: ’In my opinion, any chemical lecture is greatly enhanced by an explosion.’

This seemed to divide opinion among readers and you can read about the discussion that ensued on Storify or by following #chemexplosions on Twitter….

What’s your view?

Bibiana Campos Seijo

Digg This  Reddit This  Stumble Now!  Share on Facebook  Bookmark this on Delicious  Share on LinkedIn  Bookmark this on Technorati  Post on Twitter  Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)  

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2013/04/08/chemexplosions/

NBA 2K13 Online Ranked: No Teammate Chemistry | Epic Rage Quit ft Deron Williams – Video

Posted on by


NBA 2K13 Online Ranked: No Teammate Chemistry | Epic Rage Quit ft Deron Williams
NBA 2K13 Online Ranked: Showdown in New York! Stopping Carmelo From Scoring 50 ft Gento (YMDtv) Yo what it dew YouTube Its ya boy Gento! Don #39;t forget to leav...

By: YMDtv

View post:
NBA 2K13 Online Ranked: No Teammate Chemistry | Epic Rage Quit ft Deron Williams - Video