May
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May 7, 2008
1.4 Cents For Your Thoughts
Posted by Carmen Drahl on May 7, 2008 in Uncategorized
My stash is rolled up in paper packets. My friend’s is in the back of a drawer in his dresser. Interest groups have been tussling for years about whether to rid the U.S. of it completely.
Before you jump to conclusions, you should know that I’m talking about pocket change–the penny and nickel specifically.
Yesterday, the House debated a bill that could lead to a cheaper reformulation of the penny and the nickel.Why would they want to do that? Well, the metals that make up these coins cost more than they used to, and it now costs more than a penny to make a penny (around 1.4 cents, depending on fluctuating metal values). Same goes for the nickel (one nickel costs about 7 cents to make).
The idea under consideration is whether to make pennies, and maybe nickels, out of steel, an iron alloy. Currently, pennies are made mostly from zinc, with a touch of copper plating. Today’s nickels contain more copper than nickel. (So technically, my graphic pitting elements against each other isn’t accurate, but I can never resist an opportunity to use Microsoft Paint.)
Slainte! To The Science Of Scotch!
May
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Posted by Lisa Jarvis on May 7, 2008 in Chemistry and Food
Scotch isn’t really my thing, but I was excited nonetheless to learn a bit about the science of the drink last night at the New York Academy of Sciences. Simon Brooking, master ambassador for Laphroaig and Ardmore, two of Scotland’s premier single malt whiskeys, gave a rollicking talk that covered everything from the history of the drink to how it’s distilled to a primer on tasting and enjoying the drink (a hint: let it hit the middle of your tongue, not the tip). There were bagpipes and kilts and several kinds of Scotch to sample. Brooking even sang a few songs.
Our own Beth Halford did a thorough job explaining the process of distilling whiskey, so I won’t go into the gritty details. But I did come away with a few interesting facts worth sharing:
*The Scots use copper stills when making their magic elixir, and Brooking says the style and the flavor of Scotch is linked to the shape of the still and the angle of the line neck. Smaller, squat stills tend to produce a heavier, oilier-flavored drink, whereas taller stills impart a sweeter flavor. When I asked Brooking to clarify why the shape of the still mattered so much, he said “we’re not sure exactly what is happening,” chalking up the process to the magic and mystery of Scotch. Hmm. Not exactly the scientific breakdown I was hoping for. He did explain that different parts of the still wear thin sooner than others because of the heat generated while the whiskey is refluxing, which could influence the final product. I did a little digging, and it seems the copper reacts with sulfur compounds that would otherwise give the whiskey an unpleasant taste. I’m sure there’s more to it, chemically speaking, and would guess surface area also plays a role. Perhaps one of our readers could provide some more clarity?
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