Refractometers

The refractive index (or index of refraction) of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light (or other waves such as sound waves) is reduced inside the medium.

The refractive index, n, of a medium is defined as the ratio of the phase velocity, c, of a wavelight or sound in a reference medium to the phase velocity, v_p, in the medium itself: phenomenon such as

Got all that? If so, you can stop reading now.

This week, a look at refractometers.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them." - John Updike (US author, 1932 - 2009)

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Refractometers

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Diesel, Made Simply From Coffee Grounds

Coffee is well known for being able to power the economic engine that is America's workforce. Even the smell of coffee gets some people going. But its not particularly good at powering actual engines. It's much better at making compost, if you're going to try and find something to do with it.

Well, that may no longer be the case. Some chemical engineers at the University of Nevada are reporting that they've made a high quality bio-diesel from coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are actually about 15% oil, which isn't a great percentage for a bio-diesel crop. Unless you don't have to grow it, and companies might actually pay you to help get rid of it.

This week, a look at making diesel from coffee grounds.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Delay is the deadliest form of denial." - C. Northcote Parkinson (British historian and author of some sixty books, 1909 - 1993)

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Diesel, Made Simply From Coffee Grounds

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Ways that UC Davis Has Transformed the World - Food

UC Davis is in the middle of celebrating its 100th birthday this academic year. With a charter faculty of 16 regular instructors from UC Berkeley’s College of Agriculture and 12 nonresident instructors, there were 109 men and women who attended the first courses in fall 1908. I wonder how many of them realized they were launching century of contributions to state, national and global agricultural progress and that the Centennial Class would number about 5,000.

This week, a look at a few of the ways that UC Davis (Go Ags!) has transformed the world of food.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "To be nobody but myself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting." - e.e. cummings (poet, 1894-1962)

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UC Davis - 100

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Blind Drinks

According to a study, one stiff drink is all it takes to cause "inattentional blindness," a condition where people fail to detect unexpected objects in their field of vision while focusing on another task. I hope none of you found yourself like that on New Year's Eve.

We're not talking about being "blind drunk", but rather drinking blind, where you can't see what you're drinking. It's all the rage in the BIg Apple and Syndey, Australia. Just imagine...sipping on a daiquiri while listening to the Buena Vista Social Club, the aroma of Cuban cooking wafts through the air. Or, if you're on the cheap, perhaps drinking a beer while listening to the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever" as the smell of roasted peanuts in the shell fills the room. Whatever works for you, I guess.

This week, a look at sensory cocktails.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics." - Bill Vaughan (American columnist and author, 1915 - 1977)

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Blind Drinks

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