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August 1, 2010
Happy Birthday, Maria Mitchell
 Born on this day in 1818, in Massachusetts, Mitchell became a self-educated astronomer. She became known for her discovery of a new comet, and she went on to study sunspots, moons, and “surface features” of Jupiter and Saturn.
(Obviously, I really mean that Mitchell studied the “features of the top layer of clouds of Jupiter and Saturn.”)
Mitchell was a professor at Vassar College and was the first woman to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 
She said...
"We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire..."
“We especially need imagination in science.”
“Question everything.”
 Read about Mitchell. Read the book Maria's Comet, by Deborah Hopkinson, or Rooftop Astronomer, by Stephanie McPherson.
Astronomy is fun!
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July 31, 2010
Happy Birthday, Stephanie Kwolek Born on this day in 1923 in Pennsylvania, Kwolek became a chemist and invented poly-paraphenylene terephtalamide. You know—Kevlar!  Kwolek was working for DuPont when she invented Kevlar, which is used for bicycle tires, racing sails, mooring lines, and (famously) body armor. It is a high-strength material, especially considering its weight: Kevlar is FIVE TIMES stronger than steel, weight-for-weight. Kwolek received a patent in 1971 for Kevlar, and she has received at least 27 other patents and numerous awards for her work in polymer chemistry. A polymer is a natural or synthetic material made up of many (sometimes millions) of repeated units. Two examples of natural polymers are tortoise shell and amber. Plastics are polymers that humans artificially make.
 Find out more about polymers.
- Here is a polymer experiment using PVA glue and borax.
- This experiment is a bit easier, because it combines white glue with borax.
- Kwolek is quoted in this family guide to invention, put out by the Smithsonian Institution:
"All sorts of things can happen when you're open to new ideas and playing around with things.”
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July 30, 2010
 Invention of Corn Flakes – 1898 On this day in 1898, William Kellogg and his brother discovered that cooking, drying, and rolling corn produced flakes that patients at their Battle Creek Sanitarium enjoyed eating. As a matter of fact, patients enjoyed the breakfast cereal so much, they wanted more to take home. Eventually Kellogg decided to mass-market corn flakes (and he added sugar to appeal more to the general public!). Four years before, the Kellogg brothers accidentally discovered the flaking process when they found that some cooked wheat that had gone stale was still usable after rolling it it out. They had intended to roll out a large swath of dough, but were surprised to see the wheat flakes that formed instead. The Kelloggs patented their process and called the wheat cereal "Granose." Corn flakes were even more popular than wheat, and in 1928 William Kellogg brought out another product: Rice Krispies. This cereal was another hit with the public, and Kellogg was on his way to creating a huge, successful company.  Did you know...? - When William Kellogg decided to put sugar on his mass-marketed cereals, his brother Dr. John Kellogg was angry. He was all about nutrition, and he didn't want to be associated with sugary cereals! The brothers split on the issue, and the familiar Kellogg's company we know today is only associated with William.
- The Kelloggs didn't invent the idea of dry cereal for breakfast. A man named Dr. James Jackson invented a non-flaked dry cereal he called “Granula,” which was not like today's granola, but instead was like today's “Grape Nuts.”
- One of the Kellogg's companies biggest competitors in the dry cereal market is Post. The person who started that company, Charles William Post, was actually one of Dr. Kellogg's patients. Some claim Post stole the recipe for corn flakes from the Kelloggs.
 Celebrate with cereal! I love cereal and milk! I could eat it three times a day, if I wasn't worried about nutrition and variety—but of course, I DO worry about nutrition and variety, and so should you:
- Investigate your stash of dry cereal at home, or the shelves of cereal options at a grocery store. How do the cereals compare when considering nutrition? Calories? Cost?
- One thing some nutritionists say we should avoid as much as possible in processed foods is high fructose corn syrup. Find out why by doing some research on the sweetener. Then do more research: Do any of the cereals you enjoy avoid this high fructose corn syrup? If not, how about buying and trying a cereal that doesn't have it. You might also want to write to the manufacturer of your favorite cereal and ask that it be removed.
- You can eat dry cereal with milk or yogurt, bananas or berries, honey or...? Try a different combo today!
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July 29, 2010
Olsok – Norway
This day honors St. Olaf, the patron saint of Norway, who died in battle on this date in 1030. Olaf was a king and the person who is said to have brought Christianity to Norway. To celebrate Olsok, which means “Wake of Olaf,” Norwegians traditionally lit huge bonfires on top of hills and held historical plays. (A wake is the time when people watch over a dead body, before it is buried, and sometimes celebrate the deceased person's life. It is also the name for a parish festival held to commemorate a saint.)
 Nowadays there are folk dance and music concerts plus religious services. There are also walking pilgrimages to Trondheim, where King Olaf was buried.
Celebrate Norway! - One of Norway's most famous artists is Edvard Munch. Have you ever seen his most famous painting, The Scream? Munch created several versions of this painting—in oil, tempera, and pastels—and he also made prints via lithography.
 Many allusions to and versions of The Scream have shown up in popular culture. At right is a graffiti "shout out" to the powerful painting.
Did you know that versions of The Scream have been stolen? The 2004 theft of the The Scream remained a mystery for several years. A substantial cash reward (two million kroner) was put up for the return of the painting, but still no painting. According to Museyon Guides, the makers of the candy M & Ms offered two million M & Ms to the person who ensured the safe return of the paintings, and only a few days later the paintings were recovered!
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July 28, 2010
Potter, Potatoes and Peru!
This is a great day for the letter “P”!
On this day in 1586, it is said, Thomas Harriot introduced potatoes to England and Ireland.
On this day in 1824, Peru declared its independence from Spain, courtesy in part to the efforts of General Jose de San Martin.
And on this day in 1866, artist, author and naturalist Beatrix Potter was born in England.
First, potatoes.
Thomas Harriot sailed on an expedition of discovery on behalf of his employer, Sir Walter Raleigh. Some say that on his return in July, 1586, Harriot showed off some potatoes and potato plants from the New World. The first potato plants in England were apparently promptly planted in Raleigh's garden.
(Notice that I am stressing the fact that some say that Harriot introduced potatoes to the British Isles. There are others who say Sir Francis Drake already did the honors, in 1580.)
Whether or not the Harriot story represents Brits' first taste of the tubers, it is certain that potatoes, so important in Irish and Russian cooking, in Belgian/French fried foods, and in many other cuisines around the world, was entirely unknown in the Old World until at least the mid-1500s. As a matter of fact, potatoes probably originated in the country we are honoring today: Peru.
 Celebrate by cooking and eating potatoes!
Second, Peru.
As I already mentioned in an earlier post, Peru used to be one of the lands of the Inca Indians, who were conquered by Spaniards in the mid-1500s. It was those same Spaniards who grabbed good stuff, like gold and potatoes, to take home to Europe (Harriot, however, was English). The Spanish eventually made Peru into a colony―a colony that, with its Incan gold, paid for much of the Spanish empire all over the world. In the early 1800s, other Spanish colonies in South America began to rebel, but the leaders of Peru weren't sure whether to break away or remain loyal to the Spanish monarchy. It took the military campaigns of Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar to liberate Peru from Spanish rule.
Peruvians take two days to celebrate their independence! Tomorrow will be another “Patriotic Festival” (Fiesta Patria). You can share the celebration by making a red-and-white Peruvian flag and cooking up some Peruvian foods, including these desserts. 
Third, Potter.
Born in England on this day in 1866, Beatrix Potter grew up to be one of the most important children's authors of the early nineteenth century.
Potter lived at a time when women were not encouraged to learn or practice science, but she still attempted to follow her interest in fungi and lichens. (She was one of the first people to correctly suggest that lichens were fungi and algae working together.) Her uncle tried to introduce her as a student to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, but she was rejected because of her sex. One of her papers was presented to the Linnean So ciety by her uncle, because as a woman she wasn't allowed to attendsociety meetings. The Royal Society refused to publish her scientific papers. Rejection, rejection, rejection—nevertheless, Potter's beautiful drawings and paintings of lichens and fungi, plus some insightful papers, did result in grudging respect. After she died, at least one of the scientific societies issued an apology for the way she was treated.
Potter found a more popular reception with her anthropomorphic animal books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit. (Anthropomorphic means making animals behave like humans, usually including having them wear clothes and talking.) The drawing and painting ability thatcontributed to Potter's scientific work made her woodland animal illustrations immensely popular to this day.
Enjoy Potter's work.- Read one of Beatrix Potter's many stories. If you don't have them in book form, here is a website to explore and enjoy.
- Here is a picture of Peter Rabbit for you to color.
- Here is a recipe for Biscuit Bonnets and Berry Baskets.
- Here is a word search puzzle from Potter's Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.
- The Renee Zellweger/Ewan McGregor movie “Miss Potter” (Rated PG) is popular with some families. I have to admit, I don't think I've ever seen it. (Warning: apparently it's sad.)
- Here is a Peter Rabbit online jigsaw puzzle—in 6 pieces, or 48, or many other cuts and levels of difficulty.
- Beatrix Potter illustrated her books with water color paintings. Why don't you try your hand at painting animals with water colors?
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