Cooking is more than preparing food for eating (definition provided by Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary); cooking is a science. When I prepare food (which is quite seldom), I see more than the list of ingredients followed by a set of instructions. I look at these instructions and dissect the aspects of a dish and rationalize cooking in a scientific perspective.
Why is it necessary to knead bread dough?
Why add salt to boiling water?
Why do ice cream, frozen custards and yogurts, gelato, and similar frozen desserts not freeze into a solid chunk (like a block of ice)?
How do sugars ferment into alcohols and how do alcoholic wines become vinegar?
Why deep-fat fry, pan fry, or sauté? What are the differences and its effect on the final food product?
What are the best cooking methods of foods?
What is light/white meat and dark meat and why are they different?
Why are eggs a common “binder” in recipes?
How do variations in the proportions of ingredients affect a final product of a food? (A good example I will explain later involves Chocolate Chip Cookies)
What is baking powder versus baking soda? Can they be interchanged in a recipe, what are their effects on baked goods?
How does a refrigerator or freezer cool food?
Why do oil and water (and water-type liquids) not combine well? Why add the oil to boiling water when cooking pasta?
Can a cupcake and a cake use the same recipe?
Is corn syrup bad for one’s health? (Interesting information available about corn syrup)
What is the difference between table sugar (granulated, confectioner/powder, raw), artificial sweeteners, corn syrup (dark and light), brown sugar (dark, golden, light), honey, etc. and can these different sugar (and sugar-type substitutes) be interchanged in recopies?
How does adding (or taking away) heat change food’s “chemistry”?
And the list of these questions (based on cooking) continues, and I could provide over a hundred different cooking-related inquiries.
Easily, I can go to the streets and ask with what people he/she associates baking and cooking. I can assume there will be several who mention either girls or housewives – even the women.
Why associate cooking with women? Yet again, why associate working with the lower social class? Without going too far in depth to our racism unit (in English class), it is just human nature that we categorize.
Now,
Let me relate back to cooking as a science. How many would associate cooking and science?
Probably not too many, but cooking involves science (albeit not distinctly in many cases). Chemistry, physics, biology, anatomy, botany, ichthyology, ornithology, crystallography (studying crystals, like salts and sugars), and many, many more sciences intermixed to have a foundation for cooking. Transforming raw ingredients to form succulent dishes involved thousands of years of tradition, experimentation, tasting to meld flavors or avoid certain combinations of food. Only until recently (compared to the length of human cooking) have scientists discovered the science behind some of the cooking procedures used in modern culinary compositions.
“Science: It’s what’s for dinner.”
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Ill?
Well, I must say, I thing I am completely sick by now. I woke up on Sunday morning it find that I had a sore throat. No problem – all that is needed is some rest, liquids, soft foods, and no deep-fried products. Two days pass, Wednesday 2009.10.21, I feel up to go to swim practice – practice cut a half-hour anyways, the throat didn’t seem to be a large issue, and no detectable fever was detected. BIG MISTAKE
I am possessed like a dummy – fever, sore throat (still), congestion, and the chills. YUCK. And I attend school so I wouldn’t miss some quizzes or lectures…. Spiking a 100.8℉ fever is not cool. I just hope I don’t get anybody else sick.
Speaking of disease, what is the study of (the nature of) diseases? Oh, did I hear somebody say “immunology” (like immune system)? Well, you’re kind of on the right track, but that’s the study of the immune system – not diseases directly. What may be another name for a little microorganism –bacterium or virus – that can cause disease (e.g. the common cold, influenza, tuberculosis, and myocarditis are the only ones that I can come up with)? I am not sure if you are familiar with the term “pathogen.” So…how about pathology? Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Pathology studies the nature of diseases and the changes (in the host) produced by said virus and bacterium. The etymology of pathology derives from New Latin pathologia and Middle French pathologie, and originally from Greek pathologia study of the emotions (emotions?). Isn’t etymology interesting – emotions…where do the Greeks come up with this stuff?
Well isn’t science fun? I combined my cr*ppy illness to (sorta) fun science. Whoo, disease like the plague, the Black Death, Bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague – all caused by different types of pathogens that run wild through people’s immune system. Let’s just hope I only have the common cold =[
I am possessed like a dummy – fever, sore throat (still), congestion, and the chills. YUCK. And I attend school so I wouldn’t miss some quizzes or lectures…. Spiking a 100.8℉ fever is not cool. I just hope I don’t get anybody else sick.
Speaking of disease, what is the study of (the nature of) diseases? Oh, did I hear somebody say “immunology” (like immune system)? Well, you’re kind of on the right track, but that’s the study of the immune system – not diseases directly. What may be another name for a little microorganism –bacterium or virus – that can cause disease (e.g. the common cold, influenza, tuberculosis, and myocarditis are the only ones that I can come up with)? I am not sure if you are familiar with the term “pathogen.” So…how about pathology? Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Pathology studies the nature of diseases and the changes (in the host) produced by said virus and bacterium. The etymology of pathology derives from New Latin pathologia and Middle French pathologie, and originally from Greek pathologia study of the emotions (emotions?). Isn’t etymology interesting – emotions…where do the Greeks come up with this stuff?
Well isn’t science fun? I combined my cr*ppy illness to (sorta) fun science. Whoo, disease like the plague, the Black Death, Bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague – all caused by different types of pathogens that run wild through people’s immune system. Let’s just hope I only have the common cold =[
Friday, October 16, 2009
Social Sciences and Formal Sciences
Blog post 2009.10.09 concluded with the definition of science as “a state of knowledge.” Again, in the broadest term, science is not limited to the natural sciences (e.g. biology, chemistry, physics, ichthyology, ornithology, herpetology, microbiology, mammalogy, planktology, paleozoology, geology, meteorology, physiology/anatomy, astronomy, etc.). A wide arrange of social sciences encase our science framework. Anthropology, history, economics, law and government, psychology, geography, philosophy (controversial), and sociology are all examples of social sciences. Many of these topics have subtopics – sub-sciences – so to speak.
Anthropology studies human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture. Archaeology is an excellent example of a well-known anthropologic science.
Economics is concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Microeconomics and macroeconomics deal with the study of economics in terms of individual activity and in terms of a system in its entirety, respectively.
Law and governmental science (in the general of political science) concerns chiefly with the description and analysis of political and especially governmental institutions and processes.
The social sciences concern of the aspects of human society. These forms of science are usually independent of natural science components. Nevertheless, the natural sciences advanced the technology and influenced the humans to progress further to shape today’s society.
One final branch of science is the formal sciences. These deal with (formal) systems similar to logic, computer science, mathematics and number theory, statistics, and linguistics. With a looser definition of a formal science, there is slight overlap with the categorization (taxonomy). For example, some may consider microeconomics a form of both a formal and social science. These formal sciences can be seen as the sciences used to compare the real world with a science of symbols and theoretical rules. However, they should not be used as an interpretation of reality, nor do the rules represent reality in a ‘perfect world.’ Some may even confuse the real world with the theoretical rules of formal sciences.
I think this will be the last of posts concerning with the classification of sciences.
Whew, that must be a lot of material to absorb. I will finish here,
Thank you-
END OF LECTURE.
Anthropology studies human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture. Archaeology is an excellent example of a well-known anthropologic science.
Economics is concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Microeconomics and macroeconomics deal with the study of economics in terms of individual activity and in terms of a system in its entirety, respectively.
Law and governmental science (in the general of political science) concerns chiefly with the description and analysis of political and especially governmental institutions and processes.
The social sciences concern of the aspects of human society. These forms of science are usually independent of natural science components. Nevertheless, the natural sciences advanced the technology and influenced the humans to progress further to shape today’s society.
One final branch of science is the formal sciences. These deal with (formal) systems similar to logic, computer science, mathematics and number theory, statistics, and linguistics. With a looser definition of a formal science, there is slight overlap with the categorization (taxonomy). For example, some may consider microeconomics a form of both a formal and social science. These formal sciences can be seen as the sciences used to compare the real world with a science of symbols and theoretical rules. However, they should not be used as an interpretation of reality, nor do the rules represent reality in a ‘perfect world.’ Some may even confuse the real world with the theoretical rules of formal sciences.
I think this will be the last of posts concerning with the classification of sciences.
Whew, that must be a lot of material to absorb. I will finish here,
Thank you-
END OF LECTURE.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Blog: 2009.10.09
I have come to a conclusion that I am spending an excessive amount of time composing (and completing) these blog posts. I looked around at other people’s blogs via the Blog Feed and noticed many different types of compositions. Some blogs are focused around songs (and music), movies, and books, while other blogs are written about personal life. In many cases, these blogs can be written freely based on one’s opinion, which can easily be recalled by memory. However, blogging concentrated about sciences (I feel) may be a bit more of a challenging, albeit fun, topic – as blogging about accurate scientific requires research, instead of freeform opinion of other topics – not to say that science blogging always requires research or other topics lack freeform opinions. Nevertheless I feel that the researching for these blogs is time-consuming compared to the composition of a story. That said I believe I will limit the number of science-related blogs (or at least those surrounding the world of modern medicine that is constantly altered).
Hopefully that introduction did not give you the impression I was going to speak of another topic (ha). On the other hand, I can reduce the quantity extensive research contributing to the blog post.
On one of my previous blogs, “The Basics of Science” (click here), I ended with a wide-ranged list of sciences (mostly, if not all, natural sciences). And this would be a valid list, considering that the first ideas of science that come to mind are the natural sciences. What is so interesting is how science only refers to a state of knowing, in its broadest interpretation. If you look at the introduction of “The Basics of Science” you may note that I define science in terms of the natural sciences, the chemists’, biologists’, physicists’, geologists’, medical doctors’, etc. point of view; I defined science as:
[…] knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws, especially as obtained and tested through scientific method. It is a framework for gaining and organizing this knowledge. However, it is not simply a set of facts but it is also a plan of action – a procedure for processing and understanding certain types of information.
With this limited definition, we see only the natural sciences – those concerning physical objects that we can test and study (or hypothesize) with the scientific method. Broadening the scope to just a state of knowledge, an introduction of social sciences becomes available.
Ahh. I need to post this. I will continue.
I have come to a conclusion that I am spending an excessive amount of time composing (and completing) these blog posts. I looked around at other people’s blogs via the Blog Feed and noticed many different types of compositions. Some blogs are focused around songs (and music), movies, and books, while other blogs are written about personal life. In many cases, these blogs can be written freely based on one’s opinion, which can easily be recalled by memory. However, blogging concentrated about sciences (I feel) may be a bit more of a challenging, albeit fun, topic – as blogging about accurate scientific requires research, instead of freeform opinion of other topics – not to say that science blogging always requires research or other topics lack freeform opinions. Nevertheless I feel that the researching for these blogs is time-consuming compared to the composition of a story. That said I believe I will limit the number of science-related blogs (or at least those surrounding the world of modern medicine that is constantly altered).
Hopefully that introduction did not give you the impression I was going to speak of another topic (ha). On the other hand, I can reduce the quantity extensive research contributing to the blog post.
On one of my previous blogs, “The Basics of Science” (click here), I ended with a wide-ranged list of sciences (mostly, if not all, natural sciences). And this would be a valid list, considering that the first ideas of science that come to mind are the natural sciences. What is so interesting is how science only refers to a state of knowing, in its broadest interpretation. If you look at the introduction of “The Basics of Science” you may note that I define science in terms of the natural sciences, the chemists’, biologists’, physicists’, geologists’, medical doctors’, etc. point of view; I defined science as:
[…] knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws, especially as obtained and tested through scientific method. It is a framework for gaining and organizing this knowledge. However, it is not simply a set of facts but it is also a plan of action – a procedure for processing and understanding certain types of information.
With this limited definition, we see only the natural sciences – those concerning physical objects that we can test and study (or hypothesize) with the scientific method. Broadening the scope to just a state of knowledge, an introduction of social sciences becomes available.
Ahh. I need to post this. I will continue.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Chapter 01 - Defining Racism (Can we talk?) -- Analysis, Paragraph 08
(8.) Missing information can have similar effects. For example, another young woman, preparing to be a high school English teacher, expressed her dismay that she had never learned about any Black authors in any of her English courses. How was she to teach about them to her future students when she hadn’t learned about them herself? A White male student in the class responded to this discussion with frustration in his journal, writing, “It’s not my fault that Blacks don’t write books.” Had one of his elementary, high school, or college teachers ever told him that there were no Black writers? Probably not. Yet because he had never been exposed to Black authors, he had drawn his own conclusion that there were none.
I took note of the journal entry the “White male student” had entered, “‘it’s not my fault that Blacks don’t write books’” and underlined the phrase “[…] Blacks don’t write books.” Tatum comments that because this student had not been exposed to Black authored literature, he has inductively reasoned there are none. Thus, the words “drawn,” “conclusion,” and “none” are underlined with arrow heads drawn toward an annotation ‘inductive reasoning.’ The student reasons the general statement “If a not b and b not c, then a not c” which is not necessarily true. Also I took note of how the English teacher had not been enforced to read Black-authored texts. Likely she was instructed to read White-author books in class, thus lack of experience in the subject (for example, analyzing writings about slave trade). Teaching a class when the instructor is inexperienced is sign of the impact of the previous segregated learning community.
I took note of the journal entry the “White male student” had entered, “‘it’s not my fault that Blacks don’t write books’” and underlined the phrase “[…] Blacks don’t write books.” Tatum comments that because this student had not been exposed to Black authored literature, he has inductively reasoned there are none. Thus, the words “drawn,” “conclusion,” and “none” are underlined with arrow heads drawn toward an annotation ‘inductive reasoning.’ The student reasons the general statement “If a not b and b not c, then a not c” which is not necessarily true. Also I took note of how the English teacher had not been enforced to read Black-authored texts. Likely she was instructed to read White-author books in class, thus lack of experience in the subject (for example, analyzing writings about slave trade). Teaching a class when the instructor is inexperienced is sign of the impact of the previous segregated learning community.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Chemistry Class
A quick step from the science realm this week and a leap into a personal story for my blog this week:
Unfortunately, Advance Placement (AP®) Chemistry class has not been doing as well as I would wish. A “B- grade maybe is not too bad, but not the results I want to see on my grade report. I understand that committing to an AP® class requires one to study and learn concepts at an exceptionally rapid pace. I know I do not want to withdraw from the class – yet somehow I must be able to absorb the advanced curriculum. I now ponder my future of AP® class, all the advanced curricula in several subjects. Conversely, maybe it is the actual chemistry class that may be difficult. I understand that AP® Chemistry classes are one of the most difficult of the variety of AP®. Nevertheless, I will continue to study in the class with Mr. Hardin and, hopefully with enough dedication to the class, receive an “A” grade. Science is one of my strong subjects in school – alongside with mathematics.
Today (and yesterday) most students received their test-corrections from our previous test. In Mr. Hardin’s class, test corrections are used to redeem up to one-half point for every test question (or laboratory-report response question) marked as an incorrect response. All but two or three students were marked down by at least one point on a test. Of the majority that did test corrections, many of us did not receive the one-half point. Test corrections require (a) the original question, (b) the correct answer option, (c) a written explanation of the general process used to solve the problem, and (d) a detailed list of the mathematical processes and operations needed with written explanations specific to the question to receive the full one-half point. Supposedly, a good correction should be one page in length for one problem (that is one side of the paper). All this work (possibly up to five pages of corrections) for a test…however, if you consider that each test has a raw score of less than 20 points, one-half point holds a lot of value.
I feel horrible that I did not talk about science (well I guess I did…just not in that way), but I need this weekend to start off relaxed – to be able to complete this long weekend of re-test-corrections.
Unfortunately, Advance Placement (AP®) Chemistry class has not been doing as well as I would wish. A “B- grade maybe is not too bad, but not the results I want to see on my grade report. I understand that committing to an AP® class requires one to study and learn concepts at an exceptionally rapid pace. I know I do not want to withdraw from the class – yet somehow I must be able to absorb the advanced curriculum. I now ponder my future of AP® class, all the advanced curricula in several subjects. Conversely, maybe it is the actual chemistry class that may be difficult. I understand that AP® Chemistry classes are one of the most difficult of the variety of AP®. Nevertheless, I will continue to study in the class with Mr. Hardin and, hopefully with enough dedication to the class, receive an “A” grade. Science is one of my strong subjects in school – alongside with mathematics.
Today (and yesterday) most students received their test-corrections from our previous test. In Mr. Hardin’s class, test corrections are used to redeem up to one-half point for every test question (or laboratory-report response question) marked as an incorrect response. All but two or three students were marked down by at least one point on a test. Of the majority that did test corrections, many of us did not receive the one-half point. Test corrections require (a) the original question, (b) the correct answer option, (c) a written explanation of the general process used to solve the problem, and (d) a detailed list of the mathematical processes and operations needed with written explanations specific to the question to receive the full one-half point. Supposedly, a good correction should be one page in length for one problem (that is one side of the paper). All this work (possibly up to five pages of corrections) for a test…however, if you consider that each test has a raw score of less than 20 points, one-half point holds a lot of value.
I feel horrible that I did not talk about science (well I guess I did…just not in that way), but I need this weekend to start off relaxed – to be able to complete this long weekend of re-test-corrections.
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