Mind Museum

I think that the Mind Museum is a good attempt to make the children nowadays interested in Science. I agree that as children scientific ideas and lessons should not just be said in front of their faces. In that way, a lot of them will lose interest in Science and forever judge it as boring and dull. Mind Museum has obviously thought of this and found a way to draw the kids' interest in Science.

When the Mind Museum people, I forgot what to call them, went to the auditorium, they showed us a couple of tricks with scientific explanations. First of all, I felt like a kid, which is a good thing. I think everyone was very interested in what they were showing us. The people at the back, including me, even stood up just to see cleary what they were doing. I learned a lot of scientific things in both experiments. I think that the goal of the Mind Museum works for both kids and adults. I don't know. It worked for me.

PALAROAN, GRACIEL M.
2013-60784

MIND MUSEUM

I’d be lying if I don’t admit that the name Mind Museum intrigues me. Furthermore, calling themselves “mind movers” is without a doubt an effective strategy to invite the audience in checking them out and what they have in store for them.

I like the male mind mover’s view on science as something that should not be force-fed on children. (Well since he represents the Mind Museum, then it’d be more correct if I say the Mind Museum’s view.) If they discovered that science is something that can be enjoyed, the inculcation of what they learn from their discoveries would be more far-reaching in their psyche. I believe in its utmost importance because among the young, the kid young, science appeals not to a lot. Science was not a part of the nice things in my childhood, if nice could describe the stuff that I enjoyed and loved as a child. Wherever it developed its image of being boring and tedious, I couldn’t blame it. Formal science has always seemed unpleasant to me. This is why I commend the Mind Museum’s approach.  

Another remarkable stint of the mind movers was their attempt to simplify scientific terms to the audience. It didn’t quite work out for us, though, because we were in college and apparently we have encountered (and practically mastered but not really) the terms mentioned many times already.  However, since they were trained to speak to people far from our age, years younger than us, I think it is worth acknowledging.  

The male mind mover really had commendable public speaking skills. He can engage the audience in what he is discussing. However uninteresting his subject may be, he knows how to call our attention, to summon our curiosity in it. Altogether, I strongly believe in their techniques as being crucial in the world of science. 

Apple Czarline C. Cruel

2013-59992

TIME TRAVEL: The Truth

I believe that there should be a meaningful purpose for pursuing the coming to reality of time travel. Having the power to travel through time signifies having the ability to control destiny, another form of playing God. Along with the expansion of scientific knowledge among humans is the inevitability of the increase in desire to be in more control of the world.

If the project becomes successful, the complexity of its concept alone will make it one of the most remarkable and universally transformative breakthroughs of science. The mere understanding of time cannot be perfected by theorists; what more the interconnecting webs of studies associated with time travel that must be considered.

Theorists must deal with the resolving the issue of the impossibility of synchronizing watches throughout the universe, attributed to the fact that there is lack of uniformity of time everywhere. Time passes at varying rates in different places. If the path to settling the foremost obstruction is in haze, then the others that follow could bring even more complication.

Another issue that is to be dealt with is the manipulation of spacetime fabric, since we live in a four-dimensional world.  Gravity creates a huge impact on it as it bends the spacetime. Stronger gravity means slower time. Because nothing travels faster than light, the goal is to make time be that nothing. To do it entails massive amounts of energy, to the point that its achievement seems implausible.

As with any other, scientific and technological advancement, the harm to society that time travel, if improperly exploited, projects to society remains a threat.  

Apple Czarline C. Cruel

2013-59992

Group Project: Molecular Gastronomy

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

GROUP REPORT BY GROUP 8, SO GR8

STS THX

ABSTRACT

The advent of Molecular Gastronomy, or the investigation and application of scientific processes in the context of cooking, has revolutionized the world of cuisine. This report provides an overview of the rich history of the practice, from its inception under Nicolas Kurti and Hervé This to its current worldwide popularity. It also gives a brief description of the many processes and techniques used under Molecular Gastronomy, such as Spherification, Emulsification, and Molecular Mixology.

“I think it is a sad reflection on our civilization that while we can and do measure the temperature in the atmosphere of Venus we do not know what goes on inside our soufflés.”

- Nicholas Kurti

A. INTRODUCTION

Basic scientific principles and concepts form an integral part of nearly every aspect of the human experience. Hunger and sustenance, perhaps the most primal human urge, is no exception; the very act of cooking and preparing food is wholly dependent on physical and chemical processes. Molecular Gastronomy is, quite simply, a celebration of this relationship through the application of conventional scientific techniques to both improve regular cuisine and create works of culinary art that are completely unprecedented and unique.

B. HISTORY

The term Molecular Gastronomy was coined in the 1980-1990’s by a Hungarian physicist named Nicholas Kurti and French chemist Hervé This. The scientists’ goal was to debunk the mystery behind the physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking, thereby empowering cooks to improve their own culinary skills. There were many key events that made Molecular Gastronomy to what it is now. The first of these occurred in 1967, Kurti gave a talk entitled “The Physicist in the Kitchen". In 1984, Harold McGee published the first edition of On Food and Cooking. In 1992, Elizabeth Thomas, with Kurti’s assistance pioneered a series of workshops called “Workshop on Molecular and Physical Gastronomy” (Raiswell).

               

Molecular gastronomy blew up on the world stage in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as all kinds of chefs began to experiment with the science of cooking. Adria and Blumenthal were joined by other notables such as Pierre Gagnaire, Homaro Cantu and Grant Achatz, some of whom created their own kitchen laboratories for molecular gastronomy. (Lersch).

Today, some of the well-known names associated with molecular gastronomy include Homaro Cantu of Moto Restaurant with his edible paper and the Miracle Berry, Ferran Adria who is dubbed the "Salvador Dali of the Kitchen" and is also known for his foams,  Wylie Dufresne, the owner of wd-50, Grant Achatz, owner of Alinea, and Heston Blumenthal, owner of The Fat Duck based in the UK.  In the Philippines, restaurants inspired by molecular gastronomy have also emerged such as Vask in Bonifacio Global City, Zenses Neo-Shanghai Cuisine in Makati and Iscreamist in Quezon City, which both experiment with liquid nitrogen (Starchefs, 2014).

B. METHODS

SPHERIFICATION

Spherification is the process of making spherical consumables using edible liquids. Products of Spherification often possess qualities similar to that of caviar, however, the process can be used in the formation of other foods, such as eggs, gnocchi, and ravioli. The techniques used to create the spheres vary: from creating a thin gel membrane that coats the sphere, allowing the liquid to keep its spherical shape, or having the sphere completely gelled all throughout (Spherification Technique: The Basic Guide to Spherification).

EMULSIFICATION AND FOAMS

When two or more substances, such as oil and water, are not capable of blending into a homogeneous solution, they are immiscible. Emulsification, paves the way to this incapability, turning these heterogeneous substances into a homogeneous mixture, using an emulsifying agent. These kinds of mixtures have different chemical properties which do not allow its particles to dissolve, so these particles just remain suspended. Foam is similar to emulsification in the need for a surfactant (“Emulsifying Technique”). However, while emulsions trap solids or liquids inside a mixture, foams trap air inside the mixture. The term foam is still a general term and still has many different types. One such type of foams are called airs. Airs are dry foams and are made up of bubbles which are typically large. . Aside from classifying foams into wet and dry, it can also be separated into light and dense foams. Airs are again an example of very light foams while whipped cream is for dense foams. Its density depends on the wetness and the coarseness of the bubbles. The common tools used for creating foams are whisks or immersion blenders, whipping siphon, mixer, milk frother and aquarium bubbler (“Guide to Modernist Foams”).

MOLECULAR MIXOLOGY

The method of creating cocktails with the use of molecular gastronomy tools and techniques is Molecular Mixology. It is a unique practice of incorporating science in the techniques of drink mixing (Colleen). Molecular Mixology promotes various modern ways of cocktail presentation, for example using foams, powders, liquid nitrogen, gels, mists, heat, solidifying liquids and atomised sprays which enhance the drink’s aesthetic appeal. Other recipes used by molecular mixologists include jellied wines, cocktails frozen by liquid nitrogen, and adding flavored foams, bubbles and smoked aromas to the drinks (O’Neil, 2006).

C. CONCLUSION

Even seemingly mundane and conventional methods of cooking such as frying or boiling make use of scientific principles similar to those used in the most advanced spherification or mixology techniques of Molecular Geometry. It is thus strange that very few people are aware of, or are appreciative of, the unimaginable relevance of science in their kitchens. This is precisely why Molecular Gastronomy is so important: beyond creating fantastic new recipes, it raises a higher level of awareness and wonder of the role science plays into our lives. The techniques, processes and even equipment used in Molecular Gastronomy are highly varied and diverse, yet there is one main thing which links them together. All these discrete, separate factors share in the true core of Molecular Gastronomy: the recognition and celebration of the beautiful and inextricable relationship between food and science. At the end of the day, science has elevated human sustenance from a mere biological activity to an art form; thanks to Molecular Gastronomy, cuisine will continue to progress, innovate, and elevate itself alongside our rapidly evolving society.

D. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ak, Ajmal, 2012. Molecular Gastronomy. http://www.slideshare.net/ajmalagm/molecular-gastronomy-12029401. March 16, 2014.

Culinary Schools.com, 2014. What is Molecular Gastronomy?: A Definition & Short History. http://www.culinaryschools.com/what-is-molecular-gastronomy-definition. March 16, 2014

Cantu, Homaro, 2013. The Power of the Miracle Berry. Huffington Post: The Blog. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/homaro-cantu/miracle-berry_b_2775033.html. March 18, 2014.


"Emulsifying Technique." Modernist Cooking Made Easy. http://www.modernistcookingmadeeasy.com/info/emulsifying-technique (accessed March 19, 2014).


Go, Jeatte. 2014. Iscreamist review - quezon city -  what chemists eat. http://learningtocompute.blogspot.com/2013/04/iscreamist-review-quezon-city-what.html. March 18, 2014

Golangco,Vince, 2010. Molecular gastronomy and liquid nitrogen at Zenses neo shanghai cuisine. Food and Restaurants. When in Manila. http://www.wheninmanila.com/molecular-gastronomy-and-liquid-nitrogen-at-zenses-neo-shanghai-cuisine/. March 18, 2014

Graham, Colleen. Molecular Mixology. About.com Cocktails.http://cocktails.about.com/od/mixology/g/molecular_mix.htm. March 15, 2014.

"Guide to Modernist Foams." Modernist Cooking Made Easy. http://www.modernistcookingmadeeasy.com/info/modernist-techniques/more/culinary-foams-technique (accessed March 19, 2014).


Lersch, Martin. History. http://blog.khymos.org/molecular-gastronomy/history/. March 16, 2014.

Molecular Gastronomy History. http://www.molecularrecipes.com/molecular-gastronomy/molecular-gastronomy-history/. Molecularrecipies. March 16, 2014.

Molecular Recipes.com. 2012. Molecular Mixology – Gels, Paper, Caviar and more! http://www.molecularrecipes.com/molec.../molecular-mixology/. March 15, 2014.

Moore, Brett. Ferran Adria. About.com Gourmet Food. http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/chefbiographi2/p/ferranadriabio.htm. March 17, 2014.


Museum of Science and Industry Chicago. Fast Forward... Inventing the Future. The Innovators: Homaro Cantu. http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/fastforward/the-innovators/homaro-cantu/. March 17. 2014.

n.d., Heston Blumenthal Biography. The Fat Duck. http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/Heston-Blumenthal/Biography/. March 18, 2014.  

O’Neil, Darcy. 2006. An Introduction to Molecular MIxology. Art of
Drink.http://www.artofdrink.com/2006/04/molecular-mixology.php. March 15, 2014

P. Lee, M.A. Rogers; June 2012; Effect of calcium source and exposure-time on basic caviar spherification using sodium alginate; Vol. 1, Issue 2, Pages 96-100; AZTI- Tecnali; International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878450X13000073; 10 March 2014

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Imelda

Tenmatay, Jerico Charles B.
2010-78004

While watching the commentary, I cannot help but wonder what the director of the film was trying to communicate. I get it that it was giving a pseudo-biographical look at Imelda's life especially during the Marcos era but it left me confused because the film was shifting its bias from one perspective to another. Regardless, it was interesting to see how different people perceived things over the events that changed the nation. In some ways, it is quite tragic because they all firmly believed that they were doing the right thing.

Music and Science

Tenmatay, Jerico Charles B.

2010-78004

I find it interesting to see that there are actually a lot of scientists that have artistic pursuits and it's not just in music. Obviously there are a lot of sci-fi authors but there are also a lot who are pop culture icons, and host TV shows and internet blogs. In this era of geek culture, I think it would be quite easy for a scientist to dip their toes on artistic media once again especially now with the interactive medium of video games.

All the Time in the World

Tenmatay, Jerico Charles B.
2010-78004

This twilight zone episode is a grim reminder for us that we are only as strong as our weakest link. As we are relying more and more on electricity and internet technology to handle our daily lives and entertainment and start to forget more practical or simpler methods to do the same thing, we become more susceptible for the possibility that it can go out overnight and just as easily with a simple accident.

Once it goes out, we're become helpless and all that boundless access to information and knowledge is lost.