Blience Tuesday #1: Solstices, Equinoxes, and Eclipses

     This is the first post of a weekly series called Blience Tuesday! Blience being a portmanteau of blog and science, and Tuesday being the day of the week on which Blience Tuesday happens. This post is the first in the series. In this post, I will explain what an solstice is, what an equinox is, and what an eclipse is.

     First of all, a basic explanation. The Earth's axis is tilted. The Earth's axis is pointed the in the same direction all the time, so some depending on the Earth's position relative to the sun, the one hemisphere will be closer to the sun than the other. The hemisphere that is closer, even by such a marginal amount, is warmer, and has summer. The video (from here) shows this. When it is warmer in the northern hemisphere, it is colder in the southern one.
   
     Now, an explanation of solstices. The solstice is when one hemisphere is closest to the sun. In other words, the time when the difference between the seasons in each hemisphere is the greatest. That is why the the solstices happen in the middle of winter and the center of summer. The solstice is shown in the above video at the point where the Earth is farthest to the left of farthest to the right.

     Next up, equinoxes. While the solstice is the time when the seasons in the south and the north are as different as they get, the equinox is when the are the closest to each other. When the sunlight that hits he Earth hits perpendicular to the direction  of the axis, the axis is not really changing anything, and therefore the seasons in the south and the north are similar. During the equinox in the spring, the other hemisphere has autumn weather, and vice versa. In the video above the equinoxes happen when the Earth is directly behind the sun and directly in front of it.

     Finally, eclipses. There are two types of eclipses, lunar and solar. A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow onto the moon, and darkening it. Lunar eclipses happen twice a year or more. A solar eclipse happens when the moon goes in front of the sun, so from a certain place on Earth, the sun is blocked from sight. A solar eclipse happens twice to five times a year.

Thanks for reading!

Circuitry and Soldering

     

     One activity that I enjoy doing at CSCL is building and soldering circuitry  From kits, I have made two little devices. One of them functions as a remote to turn off a television, the other one plays the game Simon. (Simon is a memory game where the player copies an continually growing sequence of randomly picked colors.) For both, I had to add little pieces to a circuit board, then attach them in. To solder them, I   use a hot soldering iron to melt solder onto the connection between the board to the little piece I'm attaching. Solder is an alloy with a low melting point, so the soldering iron doesn't melt the circuitry itself. On one of the devices I made, I had to solder over 40 connections!

Spanish Tortilla

   

   
     A few weeks ago, I made a spanish tortilla at my cooking class. Yesterday afternoon, I thought I'd make another. So I thought about how I made it, and what ingredients I put in. I realized that I had no clue how to do it. So I went and found a recipe online. The final product is delicious, although it needs more salt. The recipe is from this page. Here's the recipe:

Spanish Tortilla Recipe

Waxy potatoes such as Yukon Golds or red-skinned new potatoes work well in this dish. Avoid using russets. This recipe is meant for a 9 inch diameter pan. If your pan is larger, add a couple eggs. If your pan is a full 12 inches, add 4 eggs, another potato and another green onion.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs, beaten
• 2 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2-3 green onions (or 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion), chopped up to the light green parts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt

METHOD

1 Slice the potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) into disks between 1/4 and 1/8 inch wide. (Helps to use a mandoline for this purpose.)

2 Pour the olive oil into a cast-iron or hard anodized aluminum pan (a pan that will be able to take the heat of a broiler in the oven) and heat it over medium-high heat. When it is hot enough to sizzle the potatoes as soon as they hit the oil – test with an end piece – start frying them in one layer. Working in batches, fry until they are lightly browned, not crispy. When they are done, let the potatoes dry on a paper towel and salt them well. Keep frying until they are all cooked.

3 When the potatoes are all done, pour off most of the oil and sauté the onions. When they are just starting to crisp, turn off the heat. Arrange the onions so they are evenly covering the bottom of the pan. Arrange the potatoes on the pan in a scalloped pattern.

4 Turn the heat back on to medium, and pour in the eggs. Add a generous pinch of salt. Shake the pan to get the eggs to coat everything in the pan. Let this cook until you see the edges of the tortilla begin to set, then put the pan under the broiler.

5 Cook it under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until the top browns. (If you prefer to finish the tortilla on the stovetop instead of the broiler, slide the tortilla out of the pan onto a plate. Then invert the pan over the plate, and flip the whole thing, pan and plate so that the tortilla falls back into the pan, less-cooked side down.) Remove the pan and set it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve. It’s also good at room temperature, and will keep a couple days in the fridge.

Yield: Serves 2-4.

Caramel Brownies

These brownies are really quite yummy

They taste good, and feel nice in your tummy

Caramel makes them sweet

Lots of them, you will eat

They are chewy, but aren't gummy

Ingredients:
1. 2 cups sugar
2. 3/4 cup baking cocoa
3. 1 cup canola oil
4. 4 eggs
5. 1/4 cup 2% milk
6. 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
7. 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon baking powder
10. 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
11. 1 cup chopped walnuts, divided
12. 14 ounces caramels

In a bowl, 1-6 you mix in,

Separately, give 8-10 a spin,

Add the white to the brown,

Mix your batter around,

Pour 1/3 into your brownie tin

(Bake 1/3 batter for 12 minutes)

Add your caramels in a sauce pan,

With sweeten'd-condensed milk from the can,

Put it over low heat,

Once it's goo, take your treat,

And pour into your warm brownie pan.

Deposite the rest of your batter,

Be careful, don't let any splatter,

With a knife, gently swirl,

The top part, (but don't whirl!)

After baking, serve on a platter

(Bake until toothpick or knife comes out clean, about 40 mins)

For a clearer recipe, click the link that follows this sentence. http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/caramel-brownies

A Bone From a Dry Sea

   


As part of my at-home evolution unit, I read the book A Bone From a Dry Sea. This book has two sort-of related stories in it, switching off between two protagonists.

     One of the stories focuses on Li, who is of a species of ape-humans that are our ancestors. Li is more thoughtful and creative than the rest off her species, and helps lead them away from danger. Her species spends a lot of time swimming and in the water. Scientifically, her species existing is only one the theories about our ancestors from that period of time.

     The other story revolves around Vinny, a girl in modern times. She is visiting her dad, an archeologist. She goes to a desert area, in Africa, where he works. They find remains of a hominoid creature, as well as what appear to be shells cracked with tools. They have to overcome the teams leader, who is provocative and bossy.

    I thought this story was sort of interesting, so I am giving it an 7.5 out of 10. I ended up being more interested in the story of the prehistoric girl than the story of the modern girl. Thanks for reading!

Scallion Pancakes

     Yesterday, I cooked delicious scallion pancakes. They were flaky and chewy and crisp. This will be my first post above a savory recipe. I apologize if some parts of this recipe are unclear, I made modifications.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water, plus more for mixing
• 1 bunch scallions
• About 1/2 cup sesame oil, plus more for frying.

     1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt, then form the mixture into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the water, first filling the well, then pouring what remains around the sides of the bowl. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to combine the ingredients into a soft, raggedy dough. If it doesn't pull together after about a minute of stirring, add water, one tablespoon at a time (up to 4), to help the dough take shape.

     2. Add about 2 teaspoons of oil to a surface, transfer the dough to it, and shape it into a ball. Working with oil-covered hands, knead the dough until it's smooth and springy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Shape it back into a ball and set it aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

     3. While the dough rests, chop the green part of the scallions into centimeter-length sections, then set them aside.

     4. Roll the dough into a log. Halve it crosswise, then cut each half into three pieces, then cut each piece in half. Place eleven of the portions in a large bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

     5. If surface and/or hand are no longer greasy, add enough oil to them to make them greasy. Roll the twelfth dough portion into a fairly round, 1/4-inch-thick pancake. Rub dough around your oily surface. Scatter 1 tablespoons of chopped scallion on top, leaving a 1-inch border.

     6. Roll the pancake into a log.

     7. Beginning at one end, wind the log into a spiral as if shaping a cinnamon roll, then tuck the loose end underneath. Use your palm to gently press the dough into a disk. Roll it into a pancake 3 to 4 inches in diameter, or pretty thin.

     8. Warm a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, then coat the pan with 1-1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Use a scallion slice to test the temperature of the oil. If it sizzles at once, the oil is ready for frying. If it doesn't, wait about 30 seconds and retest the oil with another scallion slice, repeating as necessary until the oil is hot.

     9. Carefully lay the pancake in the skillet and fry it until its edges puff up and the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancake. Every three pancakes or so, add more oil to pan. Continue frying until the second side is golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancake to a serving plate.

     10. Repeat Steps 5 through 8 for each remaining dough portion. Serve the pancakes hot or warm, cut into quarters or sixths, and if you like, with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce. Makes 12 pancakes.

Journey Through my Neighborhood

Provided by Google Maps

     On Tuesday, I had planned to go to my cooking lesson, like I do every week. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had that activity, so instead I went home. After some time, my mom texted me reminding me that I had to go. I jumped up and grabbed my coat and shoes and ran out the door. I ran all the way to the local subway station, where I planned to catch a bus. At one point while I was running, I realized my subway card, which I had brought, had no money on it. So I ran home again, grabbed money, and then ran back. I figured I would just pay directly with the money, because the machine on the bus accepts cash, so I didn't go and put money on my card. I crossed a couple streets, to get to one bus stop (with didn't serve the bus I wanted) and then crossed over to a second stop (no luck). I then went into the subway station to try and find an official there, but none were on duty. I then continued through the station, and emerged up another exit, and found that the bus stop, which was actually closer to where I live, served the bus I wanted. So I sat, and waited for about three minutes, at which point I decided I was hungry, and should go and purchase a baked good. So I went and got a brownie. It was rich and chocolatey, but a little dry. Then I was thirsty. I went in to the same place and got water. Then my mom  called me and instructed my to board the subway, and she would pick me up and drop me of at my lesson. So I went into the subway, and I heard that a subway train going the direction I wanted was leaving. So I quickly attempted to add money ("No, $10.00, not $1.00!"). Turns out the machine I was using didn't accept cash. By the time I went through the process on a machine that did, my train had left. So I waited, and then there was an announcement that they were having problems with broken trains, or something. It's really hard to hear what they are saying. After three trains going the opposite direction had come and left, my train came. I got out off the station on the opposite side, walked a little bit, got into my mom's car. I finally arrived to cook, only 1 1/2 hours late.

Two Weeks with a Dog

Kalli, shown here

   

     This is my grandparent's dog, Kalli. For two weeks, my grandparents were on vacation visiting my cousins in Florida. They own a dog, shown above. For the two weeks they were away, Kalli stayed with us.

     Their dog is a labradoodle, or labrador-poodle mix. Almost every morning, I walked her on the local bike path. We have had her before, last September. She has gotten much better about not chasing bikes and runners, but I am not able to control her when she sees another dog. She has pulled the leash, and me, so hard that I tripped and fell in the snow.

     I enjoyed having Kalli, because it was fun to play tug-of-war and catch with her. It was also funny to watch her watch the fish in our fish tank and try to jump and get them. We have neighbors with a dog, so we brought Kalli do
wn to their house and the dogs played in their backyard. What was definitely my least favorite part about having her was picking up her poop.

     On another dog-related topic, I found this thought-provoking article on domesticating foxes. Here's a link to it:
(right here)