I prepared the monthly newsletter for education enrichment company, the Mad Science Group.
The company wanted brief articles about science topics with a light and relatable tone. These are two pieces I wrote for the newsletter.
May 2020 Edition
When we crave ice-cream there is no real substitute for its sweet refreshing creaminess! It is thanks to some interesting applications of science that we get to enjoy the luxury of ice-cream as we do today. Ancient versions of ice-cream were so difficult to produce that they were reserved for royalty and the very wealthy!
One of the main tricks to making ice-cream is keeping the ingredients very cold. Over the course of history, it was discovered that the addition of salt lowers the freezing point of water and other liquids. This handy bit of chemistry, known as the endothermic process, was harnessed by smart inventors in order to keep mixtures of cream and sugar cold enough to freeze into ice-cream.
The discovery of modern refrigeration took ice-cream making to a new level of simplicity, as it became possible to easily achieve and maintain temperatures below the freeing point of water. Today, almost anyone can make ice-cream easily at home with an ice-cream maker!
June 2020 Edition
Grass lawns are presently so immensely popular in North America and many other countries of the world, that you can hardly imagine a future where this is not the case! It might be time however, to put our imaginations to work on envisioning a landscape without low-cut grass on practically every property. You have probably heard of the no-mow movement: A growing group of individuals committed to grass lawn alternatives, with a goal to introduce backyard biodiversity.
The first to benefit from no-mow gardens are native flora and fauna. Backyard plants are allowed the freedom to grow, leading to the development of rich ecosystems. The absence of the toxic pesticides normally used to control lawns, creates a healthy environment for migratory birds, butterflies and bees. Initial scientific studies on no-mow backyard spaces are revealing greater bee and floral diversity than those found in standard lawn-dominant gardens. Greater biodiversity leads to a healthier environment, which ultimately ensures the sustenance of clean water, fuel, food and medicine for us human beings!