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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 4, 20245 min read
Stylonychia: Wonderful World of Ciliates
Stylonychia is a fascinating genus of ciliates, a diverse group of active single-celled organisms living in both freshwater and marine...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 27, 20246 min read
Zaffre: Vintage Cobalt Blue Glass & Artists' Pigment
Zaffre (zaffer) is a vibrant deep blue pigment developed by alchemists, major pigment creators, by c. 1550 AD. Characterized by brilliant...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 25, 20245 min read
Ammonium Carbonate: Sal Volatile Smelling Salts
Ammonium carbonate [NH4]2CO3 is the main ingredient in Victorian smelling salts. Also called baker's ammonia, sal volatile , salt of...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 23, 20245 min read
Heliozoa: Microscopic Sun Animalcules
Heliozoa, or sun animalcules, are remarkable protozoa with bodies of spheres and radiating arms or axopodia. Found in freshwater and...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 16, 20245 min read
Raising Rotifers for Biology, Microscopy & Baby Fish Food
Rotifers are fascinating microorganisms, crucial to aquatic ecosystems. Enthusiasts and researchers can raise rotifers at home for...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 13, 20244 min read
B. Linens Bacterium: Big Cheese of B.O.
Brevibacterium linens is a remarkable microorganism on a mission to spread its pungent aroma everywhere, from the unique bite of cheese...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 9, 20243 min read
Iodine (I): Origin, Properties, Uses & Facts
Iodine (I) is an essential element in biology, industry, science and health. It's known for its intense violet gas and strong odor....
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 9, 20245 min read
Cornstarch: Cuisine, Beauty, Cleaning Uses
Cornstarch, also called corn flour, is a common ingredient worldwide. A fine, white powder derived from the endosperm of corn kernels,...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 9, 20245 min read
Scheele's Green: History's Most Toxic Pigment
Scheele's Green is a rich, vibrant green. Its color appeal surpasses that of the copper carbonate paints of the late 18th century and...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 6, 20246 min read
Rotifers (Rotifera): Animalcules Under the Microscope
Rotifers live in complex microbial water worlds like ponds. These tiny organisms help maintain the health of aquatic environments....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 31, 20243 min read
Mosaic Gold: Alchemy of a Forgotten Art
Mosaic gold is also known to alchemists as aurum musivum or aurum mosaicum due to its mottled formation. Forgotten in the data fields...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 27, 20244 min read
Prussic Acid: Secrets of Hydrogen Cyanide
Prussic acid, widely known as hydrogen cyanide (HCN), is a compound with rich history and unique properties, and one of the most...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 26, 20245 min read
The Microscope: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632 - 1723) is a self-taught scientist whose work in microscopy revolutionizes medicine and other disciplines....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 17, 20245 min read
Bacteria: Unseen Driving Force Behind All Life
Bacteria are responsible for millions of vital processes hidden from our everyday perception. These single-celled organisms are essential...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 14, 20243 min read
Make Black Ink or Paint Pigment with Soot
Soot, also loosely called lampblack or carbon black, is traditionally used to make ink, painters' pigment, medicines and makeup. A...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 27, 20243 min read
Steam Distilling Floral & Herbal Essential Oils
Distilling essential oil can be used for aromatherapy, in cuisine, beauty, healing or to set a mood. Here's the methodology to capture...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 20, 20244 min read
Natural Colors: How to Extract Plant Pigments
Artists and craftspeople have used plant pigments as a source of color for millennia. Works of art and textile dyes using vegetable...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 12, 20243 min read
Galls & Gall Nuts: Black Ink, Dye, Medicine
Galls and gall nuts are growths on plants, particularly oak trees, used for a number of purposes throughout history. They form due to...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 21, 20244 min read
Urine in Medieval Alchemy & Medicine
In the medieval world, urine is a surprisingly versatile body fluid with a wide range of applications beyond the obvious disposal...
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