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That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles – Dr. Joe Schwarcz

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That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles

62 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life

Dr. Joe Schwarcz

Genre: Essays

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: October 1, 2002

Publisher: ECW Press

Seller: OpenRoad Integrated Media, LLC


The bestselling popular science author reveals “the connections between what we teach in chemistry courses and the world in which . . . [we] live” (ChemEd X).   Interesting anecdotes and engaging tales make science fun, meaningful, and accessible. Separating sense from nonsense and fact from fiction, these essays cover everything from the ups of helium to the downs of drain cleaners, and provide answers to numerous mysteries, such as why bug juice is used to color ice cream and how spies used secret inks. Mercury in teeth, arsenic in water, lead in the environment, and aspartame in food are also discussed. Mythbusters include the fact that Edison did not invent the light bulb and that walking on hot coals does not require paranormal powers. The secret life of bagels is revealed, and airbags, beer, and soap yield their mysteries. These and many more surprising, educational, and entertaining commentaries show the relevance of science to everyday life.   “A delightful and informative read. Dr. Schwarcz tells it like it is, whether the subject is light at heart or as weighty as death.” — The Cosmic Chemist   “Fascinating [this book] is, thanks to the author’s lively style and contagious enthusiasm for chemistry, and his ability to make it accessible . . . connects the dots between such unlikely events as the madness of King George III and the royal fondness for sauerkraut; and between gluten, the molecular make-up of trans-fatty acids, and how the cookie crumbles.” — Montreal Review of Books

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That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles – Dr. Joe Schwarcz

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NOAA weather-monitoring program hit by sequester cuts

NOAA weather-monitoring program hit by sequester cuts

NASA

COSMIC satellites. Sequester cuts could see the planned second generation of this weather-monitoring array axed.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is trying to figure out how to meet sequester cuts demanded by Congress — without upsetting Congress by furloughing the agency’s weather forecasters.

One proposed solution might sound fine if you just want to know what the weather will be like tomorrow, but it’s not so fine if you care about improving the accuracy of such forecasts in the coming years.

An earlier proposal from NOAA that would have required employees of the National Weather Service to take some furlough days this year was recently nixed amid tornado-induced horror at the thought of meteorologists being kept away from work.

The agency’s new plan would see funds drained instead from the COSMIC-2 satellite program, the second phase planned in a joint U.S.-Taiwan project that aims to improve weather forecasting. From Politico:

“The beauty of this program is it generates an extraordinary amount of useful data and we don’t have to pay the whole freight,” said Clifford Mass, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington.

“It is an extraordinary mistake to take away the money,” he told POLITICO. “This will be really controversial in the discipline.” …

A half-dozen COSMIC satellites — launched in cooperation with Taiwan — have been operating as a pilot program of sorts since 2006. COSMIC-2 seeks to build on this success by replacing the aging fleet with new satellites equipped with enhanced GPS receivers that are able to generate better quality data.

The estimated 10-year cost is $420 million, of which Taiwan would pay half. But getting off the ground in the NOAA budget has proven difficult.

And Politico points out that the sequester has already eaten into satellite programs designed to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts:

The March 1 sequester has already cut about $54 million from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R), a package which hovers over North America and provides a steady stream of weather monitoring.

In an era of weird weather, this might not be such a smart idea.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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NOAA weather-monitoring program hit by sequester cuts

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