Sylvia Rose
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 44 min read
Potash: Agriculture, Plant & Garden Health
Potash is a mineral group prized in agriculture, health and human life though history. Potash covers various potassium-rich salts,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 304 min read
Practical Alchemy of DIY Perfumes & Aromas
The alchemy of perfumes goes back thousands of years. Here are the practical aspects of perfumes in ancient and medieval times, how...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 278 min read
Scientific Revolution Europe 1543-1687
The Scientific Revolution, from 1543 to 1687, transforms human understanding of the natural world. This period involves events and...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 256 min read
Biofilm Communities: Metropolitan Microbes
A biofilm is a living community of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and algae. Comprising over 80% of all microbial life on...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 225 min read
Methanogens: Microbes of Methane Production
Methane (CH4) is a familiar gas emanating from cow dung. Methane's creators are invisible creatures known today as methanaogens,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 175 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 154 min read
Gum Arabic (Acacia Gum) Art, Food & Medicine
Gum arabic, also known as acacia gum, is a natural substance derived from sap of Acacia trees, especially Acacia senegal . This sticky,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 43 min read
Fermentation: Yeast & the Active Microworld
Fermentation is among the oldest of alchemical processes. It's used intentionally by c. 8000 BCE to create honey mead, a blend of...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 14 min read
Ammonia: Formation, Hazards & Reactions
Ammonia is a simple yet mysterious versatile compound vital to life on Earth. Explore its formation, historical significance, potential...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 204 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 123 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
Sep 13 min read
Science of Rust Earth Pigments & Colors
Rust is a complex chemical reaction from the interaction of iron, oxygen, and moisture. This common phenomenon produces striking colors...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 15 min read
How to Make Iron Oxide Pigment at Home
Make non-toxic iron oxide pigments for painting, dyes, glazes, artistic to industrial uses. Iron oxide (Fe2O3) or rust exists on Earth...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 314 min read
How to Make Copperas Red: Simply Science
Copperas, iron(II) sulfate or green ferrous sulfate, is a versatile compound in various applications, from agriculture to water...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 315 min read
Natural Purple Dyes: Ancient & Medieval
Dyers, coloring professionals, metal workers and gemologists seek vibrant colors and tones since early civilization. The first use of...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 293 min read
How to Make Hematite Pigment: A Step-by-Step Guide
Hematite, an iron ore with the chemical formula Fe2O3 (ferric oxide), is known for its metallic luster. In earthy form the stone offers a...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 65 min read
Celandine: Plant Toxins & Medicine
Celandine (Chelidonium majus) is a popular medicinal plant in the ancient world, also appearing in gold-making recipes of alchemists. Use...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 293 min read
Writing Inside Eggs Italian Renaissance
Writing inside eggs is invented by Naples polymath Giambattista della Porta. In the 16th century he uses this method to smuggle messages...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 275 min read
Robert Fludd & Renaissance Medicine
Robert Fludd (1574 - 1637) is an influential figure of the European Renaissance. He's known as a cosmologist, astrologer, mathematician...
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