Seeing the Invisible

This video starts nearly silently, and that's understandable as it's some amazing video.

Schlieren photography is apparently phenomenal, because it lets us see very slight differences in densities of gases.

Seriously, I could watch this video again and again.

I'll put some more Schlieren videos after the jump...

Mock Apple Pie

I've made and served Mock Apple Pie before, though mine didn't have the crumble topping like that shown up above. That's a nice touch and would likely make the whole thing a little more believable.

Admittedly, the texture is that of over-cooked apples rather than the ideally still-crisp apples in the best pies, but it's generally a decent 'apple' pie to serve. Proves that much of what we taste is based on a lot more than purely what we're really tasting. If the smell and consistency and look are all about right, we'll go for it.

Learn more about Mock Apple Pie on C&EN's website or by searching for a recipe.

6 Chemical Reactions That Changed History

So much stuff to say here...

• 6 - Maillard Reaction(s) - There are actually a whole bunch of reactions that fall under the umbrella of Maillard Reaction(s) so, the name should really be plural...There's also some idea that the Maillard Reactions produce some carcinogenic by products. 
• 5 - Bronze - By all the definitions I've ever heard, alloying metals doesn't qualify as a chemical reaction. It's an important process, yes, but not necessarily a chemical reaction...Did he really say, "pokey sticks"?...sheesh...
• 4 - Fermentation - Again, lots of different chemical reactions coming under one big umbrella there...and there's no mention of the actual chemical reaction that takes place within the yeast and other microorganisms that actually do the fermenting.
• 3 - Saponification - This one gets the best explanation of the actual chemical reaction happening between the triglyceride and the base. Thanks...
• 2 - Silicon - Again, melting and recrystallizing anything isn't a chemical reaction...it's impressive and well worth studying, but it's misleadingly placed in this video.
• 1 - Haber-Bosch process - This one's massively important, agreed. Easily the best choice in the video. I'd put one other reaction above this one, but it's certainly not a modern one.

And the narrator's a little annoying...but that's sort of me being catty.

Three Chips for Sister Marsha

I am, admittedly, a big fan of Alton Brown's Good Eats. Nearly ever episode is an outstanding balance between science education and useful cooking knowledge.

In the episode above (illegally posted but available for $1.99 on YouTube (if you want to be honest and good), Brown goes through three varieties of chocolate chip cookies with just one change each.

Check out images of the many ways that cookies can be varied with just one little switch each at this link (without the science explanation)...

Splitting Up

I appreciate that there's a brief moment of happiness before total annihilation.

Source - Perry Bible Fellowship

History's deadliest colors - J.V. Maranto

I love the animation of the Ted talks.

I also love the weird chemistry of the past, things we didn't know back in the day would kill us but that we totally know about now.

Weirdly, I'd read about the wallpaper-Napoleon connection before.

And I love Fiestaware, though I only have the modern, non-uranium version.

Fish goes bonkers for brine pool | Nautilus Live

The deep ocean is stunningly weird.

There are extremes of concentration and density that result in a far, far from homogeneous ocean bottom.

Above we see a brine pool, an area of ultra-high salt concentration that leads to a pool that is far more dense than the surrounding water and often contains high concentrations of methane, also, making the pool deadly for any animals that are unlucky enough to happen into the pool.

There are a bunch more brine pool videos from the Nautilus Live YouTube channel. I'll put a couple more after the jump, but they're certainly worth a hunt down.