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Winter 2011
From the Chair
Upcoming events
Eurochat
Sci Comm news
New members
Event Report: NHS reform debate
Event Report: Society of Biology report launch
Event Report: Bright Club
Event Report: Christmas party
Feature: Blurring the lines
Feature: Stem cell patents
Interview: Q&As with new science correspondents
The Last Word
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Stempra newsletter
EVENT REPORT: Stempra Christmas Party - the science of champagne
... and how to turn a decent red into a paint-stripping white! In early December, Stempra congregated in the basement bar at Drink, Shop and Dance, near London’s King's Cross. We were treated to a sparkling show by Leanne Bloor, from UCL, who demonstrated the science of champagne, gin, ice and wine to an eager audience of around 50 Stemprans. It was a lot of fun, although some may regret the raw quinine powder being passed round!
Amongst other things, we learnt that...
• To turn red wine into white, you need to filter it through some powdered carbon. Et voilà! A (slightly nasty) white wine is the result!
• Gin and tonic originated because adding gin was the only way 18th century Brits could be persuaded to take the quinine, along with sugar and water – 'tonic water', necessary to ward off malaria in India and elsewhere. A sample of raw quinine taught us just how sensible this was!
• Bubbles in champagne originate from irregular bumps and scratches in the receptacle you hold it in. You can drastically increase the number of bubbles in your glass by adding anything rough, preferably with a large surface area.
• If you super-chill salted mineral water to below zero (around -6°c is ideal) and pour it over an ice cube, the water will freeze on top of the cube and grow into a chilly 'stalagmite'! One to try over the Christmas break!
It was a fitting and enjoyable end to another successful year for Stempra, and the relaxed atmosphere after the entertainment gave us a chance to reflect on the year in sci comm, and a time to look forward to the next year of exciting events and interesting discussion. There are so many reasons to renew your memberships, not least the event we already have lined up for January – see the Features section!
James Lush
Biochemical Society
james@stempra.org.uk
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