July 31 - Happy Birthday, Stephanie Kwolek

 Posted on July 31, 2021


This is an update of my post published on July 31, 2010:



Born on this day in 1923 in Pennsylvania, Stephanie Kwolek became a chemist and invented poly-paraphenylene terephtalamide. You know—Kevlar!

Kwolek was working for DuPont when she invented Kevlar, which is used for bicycle tires, racing sails, mooring lines, and (famously) body armor. It is a high-strength material, especially considering its weight: Kevlar is FIVE TIMES stronger than steel, weight-for-weight.

Some bike tires are
advertised with "Kevlar
puncture protection."

Kwolek received a patent in 1971 for Kevlar, and she has received at least 27 other patents and numerous awards for her work in polymer chemistry. 

A polymer is a natural or synthetic material made up of many (sometimes millions) of repeated units. Two examples of natural polymers are tortoise shell and amber. Plastics are polymers that humans artificially make.




Find out more about polymers.

Here is a polymer experiment using PVA glue and borax.

This experiment is a bit easier, because it combines ordinary white glue with borax.

Here is a great Kwolek quote: "All sorts of things can happen when you're open to new ideas and playing around with things.”



Also on this date:













Author J. K. Rowling's birthday

















 (Last Saturday in July)





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July 30 - A Change to Crispness! (aka - The Invention of Corn Flakes)

 Posted on July 30, 2021


This is an update on my post published on July 30, 2010:

On this day in 1898, William Kellogg and his brother discovered that cooking, drying, and rolling corn produced flakes that patients at their Battle Creek Sanitarium enjoyed eating.

As a matter of fact, patients enjoyed the breakfast cereal so much, they wanted more to take home. Eventually Kellogg decided to mass-market corn flakes (and he added sugar to appeal more to the general public!).



Four years before, the Kellogg brothers accidentally discovered the flaking process when they found that some cooked wheat that had gone stale was still usable after rolling it it out. They had intended to roll out a large swath of dough, but were surprised to see the wheat flakes that formed instead. The Kelloggs patented their process and called the wheat cereal "Granose."

Corn flakes were even more popular than wheat, and in 1928 William Kellogg brought out another product: Rice Krispies. This cereal was another hit with the public, and Kellogg was on his way to creating a huge, successful company.




Did you know...?

When William Kellogg decided to put sugar on his mass-marketed cereals, his brother Dr. John Kellogg was angry. He was all about nutrition, and he didn't want to be associated with sugary cereals! The brothers split on the issue, and the familiar Kellogg's company we know today is only associated with William.

The Kelloggs didn't invent the idea of dry cereal for breakfast. A man named Dr. James Jackson invented a non-flaked dry cereal he called “Granula,” which was not like today's granola, but instead was like today's “Grape Nuts.”



One of the Kellogg's companies biggest competitors in the dry cereal market is Post. The person who started that company, Charles William Post, was actually one of Dr. Kellogg's patients. Some claim Post stole the recipe for corn flakes from the Kelloggs.

Celebrate with cereal!

I love cereal and milk! I could eat it three times a day, if I wasn't worried about nutrition and variety—but of course, I DO worry about nutrition and variety, and so should you:

Investigate your stash of dry cereal at home, or the shelves of cereal options at a grocery store. How do the cereals compare when considering nutrition? Calories? Cost?

Is sugar the very first ingredient listed? Yikes!
Maybe this kind of cereal should be an occasional
treat instead of an everyday breakfast.

One thing some nutritionists say we should avoid as much as possible in processed foods is high fructose corn syrup. Find out why by doing some research on the sweetener. Then do more research: Do any of the cereals you enjoy have this high fructose corn syrup? If so, how about buying and trying a cereal that doesn't have it. You might also want to write to the manufacturer of your favorite cereal and ask that it be removed.


You can eat dry cereal with milk or yogurt, bananas or berries, nuts or honey or...? Try a different combo today!











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July 29 - Olsok in Norway

 Posted on July 29, 2021


This is an update of my post published on July 29, 2010:


This day honors St. Olaf, the patron saint of Norway, who died in battle on this date in 1030. Olaf was a king and the person who is said to have brought Christianity to Norway. To celebrate Olsok, which means “Wake of Olaf,” Norwegians traditionally lit huge bonfires on top of hills and held historical plays.




(A wake is the time when people watch over a dead body, before it is buried, and sometimes celebrate the deceased person's life. It is also the name for a parish festival held to commemorate a saint.)

Nowadays there are folk dance and music concerts plus religious services. There are also walking pilgrimages to Trondheim, where King Olaf was buried.



Some folks walk from Oslo all the way to Trondheim - 
and it takes about two weeks! 

Along the way, at the cairn (rock pile) called allemannsrøysa,
pilgrims can leave a stone that represents a psychological 
burden that they carry - anxiety, regret, guilt, anger.

Check out one walking pilgrimage here.





The end of the pilgrimage is Nidaros Cathedral. Pilgrims
walk around the cathedral three times and then enter to
find and pay their respects to the St. Olaf shrine.

Trondheim is lovely:




Enjoy these photos of Trondheim.

Did you know...?

One of Norway's most famous artists is Edvard Munch. Have you ever seen his most famous painting, The Scream? Munch created several versions of this painting—in oil, tempera, and pastels—and he also made prints via lithography.



Many allusions to and versions of The Scream have shown up in popular culture. At right is a graffiti "shout out" to the powerful painting.

Did you know that versions of The Scream have been stolen? The 2004 theft of the The Scream remained a mystery for several years. A substantial cash reward (two million kroner) was put up for the return of the painting, but still no painting. But when the makers of the candy M & Ms offered two million M & Ms to the person who ensured the safe return of the paintings, the thief - who was then serving a 20-year term in prison - reached out to authorities -

- And the painting was recovered!


- But apparently the thief didn't get the M & M's! The Norwegian police don't give rewards to convicted criminals, and that many M & M's - 40,000 bags! - weigh 2.2 tons and are impractical to send across the Atlantic, and the Norwegian police themselves aren't able to accept rewards (not even M & Ms) -

- So the candy company sent the monetary equivalent of two million M & Ms - $26,000 U.S. - to the museum where the painting was displayed before the theft and now after the recovery!

Read more about the M & M reward here.

Read more about Olsok and Norway here.








(Last Thursday in July)




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