Why Does Mentos in Diet Coke Cause an Eruption?

Today I was searching for information on the new Diet Coke cans. I have had 2 that wouldn't open since they changed to the new design (the aluminum feels flimsier too). The pull tab doesn't work - it doesn't displace the pop top when it is pulled. If anyone can enlighten me as to why this has happened twice in the past week, but never before that that would be something new learned.

My search for answers to this led me somehow to the diet soda and Mentos eruptions. I have tried this at home, and yes, a 2 liter bottle of diet soda will erupt in a tall fizzy column if you drop a few Mentos in.



This is apparently a physical reaction, not a chemical reaction. It all has to do with carbon dioxide bubbles and the way they grow.

Carbon dioxide is added to beverages to make them fizzy. The CO₂ molecules are separate and are held that way by the water in the soda. When a soda is opened the sound you hear and the bubbles you see are CO₂ molecules floating fuzzily to the top. CO₂ molecules would rather hang with other CO₂ molecules and Mentos have a porous surface that allows the CO₂ molecules to gather with others and form bubbles. Since the candies sink quickly to the bottom of the soda bottle the gathering of the CO₂ molecules on the Mentos starts at the bottom and then surges to the top causing the diet soda geysers.

Note: The reason for using diet soda instead of regular corn syrupy soda seems to be that because diet soda is not sticky so any mess made with this experiment is easier to clean up.  If you plan to try this, I highly recommend doing it oustside and away from people, pets, and anything else you don't want to have a soda shower.

Something else I learned: Aluminum forms an oxide coating which is highly resistant to corrosion.

Go Tigers!

I hope to learn today that the Tigers beat the Yankees in game 5!

Traffic Circles are Less Conflicted

Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.
~Dan Rather

Love or hate them, it turns out that there IS a good reason for putting traffic circles where traffic lights and intersections were. It is safer! Far less collision points - 32 in a standard intersection v 8 in a circle.

Not to mention pedestrians. Obviously, it would be far safer to walk through a traffic circle than to cross the street traditional style!

These circles are popping up all over the place. Here is a nearby double/triple circle (dubbed the "circles of death" by my nephew).

My son likes the traffic circles. He finds them less challenging or dangerous than a merge onto the highway from the left. He also learned traffic circle rules and how to navigate them in Driver Training. Most of us did not, because there were no bloody traffic circles when we learned how to drive!

If you remember nothing else, remember this one important thing: YOU ONLY YIELD TO ENTER THE CIRCLE. Once you are in, everyone (in a perfect universe) yields to you.

Don't be embarrassed if you don't yet know traffic circle etiquette, but please do enlighten yourself about How to Drive in a Traffic Circle.

Today's note is a quiz: At which collision point do you think that stupid person who lacks basic driving skills hit my car?

Something else I learned while learning about the collision points in traffic circles: The 5 smaller roundabouts (a.k.a. traffic circles) leading to a large central roundabout in Swindon  (England) is referred to as the "Magic Roundabout".

Reincarnation is Forbidden in Tibet

"I look upon death to be as necessary to the constitution as sleep. We shall rise refreshed in the morning."
~Benjamin Franklin

There has been a ban on reincarnation without government permission in place in Tibet since 2007. That is messed up! The ban is apparently an attempt to restrict the Tibetan Buddhist practice of identifying the Dalai Lama as a young boy. It seems China (occupier of Tibet since 1950) hopes to use this law to pick the next Dalai Lama.

The current Dalai Lama (living in India) refuses to be reincarnated in Tibet as long as it is occupied by China.

An interesting article.

Note: Buddhism is based on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path

Something I learned while researching the ban on reincarnation: The Panchen Lama is the second most important spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism. The current Panchen Lama is one that was identified by the Chinese government. There is another Panchen Lama that was identified by Tibetan spiritual leaders, but that young boy was moved with his family to Beijing and, it seems, has not been heard from again. Learn more: The Panchen Lama Mystery.

Paris Fashion Week 2012 - Kanye West?

We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em
Things we buy to cover up what's inside
Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth
~Kanye West

Fashion Week is great. A bunch of designers show a bunch of clothes most of us wouldn't (or couldn't) wear. Paris Fashion Week took place last week and debuted design for spring/summer next year.

Designer Gareth Pugh:

Really?

There were some very pretty and possibly wearable clothes this year. Paris Fashion Week slideshow.

Kanye West designed and showed a line at Paris Fashion Week! What the heck? All credit for trying to branch out, but...I was not crazy about his line.

I am apparently not the only one. From the Guardian.

Note: You really should check out Gareth Pugh's full line. lol

Something else I learned while looking at Fashion Week pictures: The first New York Fashion Week took place in 1943.

My Cat is Older Than I Am!

"A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime."
~Mark Twain 

Pet ages are not as simple as a 1 human year = 7 cat years. It's more like 1 human year = 4 cat years after a huge jump start early on.

Cat year    Human years
1                15
2                24
3                28
4                32
5                36
6                40
7                44
8                48
9                52
10              56
11              60
12              64
13              68
14              72
15              76
16              80
17              84
18              88
19              92
20              96

Always a great story: The Cat that Walked by Himself

Something else I learned about cats today: Cats can be right-pawed or left-pawed.

A New Recipe! Barley Salad

Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one.
~E. B. White

Genius is more often found in a crock pot.
~me

(Yesterday)

Learned a new recipe from a friend: Barley salad. I had never heard of it, but it is delicious! I will be making this in the near future.

    2 cups vegetable broth
    1 cup barley
    1 teaspoon olive oil
    1 teaspoon salt
    10 plum or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
    1/2 cup red and/or yellow peppers
    1/2 cup sliced black olives
   
Dressing:

    1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Prepare barley, using the vegetable broth, Also add oil, and salt. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain excess liquid. Let cool.

Whisk lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large serving bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil, to make a smooth dressing. Add the barley and the remaining salad ingredients and toss to coat with the dressing.

Note: You can use any type of fresh veggies in this salad - the peppers are good because of the crunchiness.