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Sylvia Rose
9 hours ago6 min read
Nine Countries with Nuclear Weapons
Nine countries have nuclear arsenals: Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 245 min read
Irrigation in History: Greening of the Land
Irrigation creates rich agricultural lands from dry barren earth. For thousands of years, people invent and refine ways to move water to...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 245 min read
Gallic Wars: Caesar's Invasion of Germania
Julius Caesar's military campaigns in Germania provoke fierce opposition, strategic alliances and guerilla warfare. Rome conquers most of...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 204 min read
How to Make a Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter is a living mixture of microbes, flour and water giving sourdough its unique flavor and texture. Often called the...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 65 min read
Maillard Reaction: Science & Flavor in Browning Food
The Maillard reaction is a process in browning and flavor enhancement for food such as chicken, steak, bread and roast marshmallows. As...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 45 min read
Beer: Malting & Mashing in Grain Fermentation
Malting and mashing are essential parts of the beer making process. These steps influence quality, flavor, and character of the final...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 17 min read
Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Queen of Yeasts
Saccharomyces cerevisiae , brewer's or baker's yeast, is undisputed Queen of yeasts. This immobile single-celled organism is popular in...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 183 min read
Hanseniaspora: Wild Lovers of Sweet Grapes
Hanseniaspora is a genus of wild yeast, notable for flavors and nuances it brings to wine. Hanseniaspora yeast loves sugar-rich...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 175 min read
Terroir in Wine & Food: Expression of Place
Terroir is created by unique environmental aspects. Often linked to wine, terroir also influences agricultural products such as cheese...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 105 min read
Pasteurization: Microbial Dominance & Destruction
Pasteurization is a process of treatments designed to remove microbes from milk. Most microbes inhabiting raw milk are lactic acid...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 57 min read
Brettanomyces: Favorite Artisan Wild Yeast
Brettanomyces is a wild yeast with domestic traits. "Brett" is found throughout the natural world. Microscopy helps define and...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 25 min read
Krausen (Kräusen): Bubbles of Brewing Success
Krausen is a joyful moment in brewing and fermenting. When krausen appears, fermentation is under way. When it falls, fermentation is...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 19 min read
Feudalism & the German Peasants' War
Feudalism is a structured system of land ownership and governance in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It includes a...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 31, 20246 min read
Milk into Cheese: Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) work to help transform milk into cheese, creating unique flavors and textures. They ferment sugars, mainly...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 29, 20247 min read
German Romanticism: Nature & Emotion
German Romanticism (Deutsche Romantik) is an influential movement emphasizing profound emotions, the beauty of nature, and the power of...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 25, 20244 min read
Pyrococcus furiosus: Extremophile of Vulcano
Pyrococcus furiosus is an extremophile first discovered in the boiling hot, anaerobic conditions of the volcanic island Vulcano. This...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 24, 20245 min read
Vulcano: Child Miners, Gods & Extremophiles
Vulcano is part of the Aeolian Island archipelago of Italy. Named for Vulcan, Roman god of fire and metalworking, Vulcano is a unique...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 22, 20248 min read
Yeast & Mold: Ancient Fungi, Modern World
Yeast and mold are types of fungi, adept at the decomposition of organic matter. They share some similarities but each has a unique...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 25, 20244 min read
Flowers of Antimony: Pure Medieval Purgative
Flowers of antimony are a purified form of antimony trioxide (Sb2O3). Created through sublimation, they have chemical and medical...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 24, 20244 min read
Glass of Antimony: Renaissance Purgatives
Glass of antimony , or vitrum antimonii , gives warm yellow or red hues. As Sb2O3, its use in alchemy is largely medicinal, one of many...
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