Science and Leisure

On a bright spring day in March I drove to Aylesbury for a day of Investigation and Discovery put on by Buckinghamshire Federation Science and Society team. What a marvellous day! There were four speakers, all experts in their own fields. I was swamped with very interesting information—I just lapped it up! (Unfortunately, I haven’t retained all of it—should’ve taken notes!).

Carbon capture was about sending hydrogen from oil fields, and converting it into the national grid, and taking the carbon emissions back to be stored underground safely. The aim is that by 2050, we will all be using hydrogen to replace gas, though we will have to continue using fossil fuels until we have enough bio-fuels to build the manufacturing plants. I was interested to learn that although great Britain is good at reducing carbon release, aeroplanes release the most carbon, over the oceans, and this is a global problem.

A Life in Astrophysics was presented by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, an astrophysicist who, as a  post-graduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967. This discovery eventually earned the Nobel Prize in physics in 1974; however, she was not one of the recipients of the prize.  She was the only woman studying a degree in Physics at Glasgow University and had to fight for recognition throughout her student career.

Robotics and artificial Intelligence was about automated and autonomous robotic development. Automated robots are widely used for manufacture and surgery among other things, but autonomous robots such as driverless cars are only in the early stages of development. All robots are only as good as their programs, and this development is ongoing. 

Rebel Cell: Aspects of Cancer was all about the rebel cells in our bodies. The cells mutate very early on in our lives to become rebels (they re-configure to escape our immune systems) and cause cancers. Research has led to discovery that some rebel cells can be controlled, and unfortunately they soon learn to re-invent themselves and continue to cause trouble.

I learned that though we can make choices to reduce the risks, life is really a lottery—some healthy people get cancer, and some unhealthy people don’t.

The speakers were excellent at presenting their topics in a lively way, particularly the ladies, who spoke slowly and clearly. They had all been heard on Radio 4, were contacted by the team and ‘interviewed’ to make sure that they could present their topics in a way that we would understand.

As Science Representative, I will try to organise something smilar for us in Middlesex. So watch this space!

What marvellous little things they are! They’re endlessly versatile, and full of nutrients. They can be used in cooking to make a variety of recipes, from custard to meringues, sauces and cakes.

I love them as they are, whether fried, poached, scrambled or boiled. I also keep a stash of hard boiled eggs, shell on, in the fridge so I can grab one as a non-fattening snack when hungry!

The versatility is due to their chemical and physical properties and the changes that occur when they are cooked. They are packed with protein, along with other nutrients such as vitamins A,D , E and B12.

Protein is made up of molecules called amino acids linked in a chain. When agitated , e.g. by whisking or heating, the links get rearranged.

Whisking egg whites creates bubbles and some of the amino acids form nests which stops the bubbles from popping.. Adding sugar, once the whites have formed gives the bubbles more stability, so you end up with a light fluffy meringue that holds its shape.

I remember whisking egg whites with children when teaching, to demonstrate ‘change of state’. Heat also changes the state of eggs. The amino acids cluster together and lock in water causing the yolks and whites to firm up – demonstrated in fried, boiled scrambled or poached eggs.

Mixed with other ingredients they make sauces, eg custard. When used in baking, the beaten eggs coats the air bubbles that form when creaming butter and sugar together, and then when in the oven the egg coagulates around the bubbles and stops them from bursting—hence light fluffy sponges.

Eggs also emulsify. An egg helps to combine two liquids, such as oil and water (which normally repel each other). Mayonnaise is made using oil and lemon juice or vinegar, and the molecules in egg yolk help them to combine into a creamy sauce.

Eggs can be a little tricky though. When overheated, they can turn rubbery, so for sauces they need slow cooking and constant stirring. Over whisking too can have disastrous results, causing water to be squeezed out of the egg whites and you end up with a grainy, watery mess.

There are pros and cons for storing eggs in the refrigerator or at room temperature. They keep longer in the fridge, but work better at room temperature for most cooking purposes. They can be brought up to room temperature if removed from the fridge half an hour before use.

Eggs can be frozen so long as the yolks and eggs are frozen separately, and in airtight containers. Add a good pinch of sugar or salt to egg yolks to stop them from being too thick when defrosted. Defrost them overnight in the fridge to thaw.

There is so much you can do with an egg (or a few)—so let’s get cracking.!

It’s undisputable -the Covid pandemic has done much to alter our way of life!

Its affects have been wide ranging  – from turning us into recluses till it’s all over, terrifying us into thinking we’re all vulnerable to catching the virus, to working with the restrictions to make life better for ourselves and others. Anyway, it has not been easy. Now we are being told that life can begin to go back to normal once all restrictions are lifted.

So what is ‘normal’, and how do we return to where we were in 2019?

Most of us can’t remember what ‘normal’ was, or we may feel that we can never be ‘normal’ again. How we get back to what we used to do is another matter. There are many things which we can hardly wait to do again, such as meeting our families and friends in larger groups, cuddling the new grandchild, getting together for sewing, crafts, learning and sharing new topics, hugging those close to us (presently forbidden). There are things I’m not in a hurry to do, such as going abroad for a holiday, or attending packed venues.

I think most of us have not been able to maintain our levels of fitness, in spite of being able to join on-line activities or go out for exercise. It is taking me a long time to return to the levels I had before lock down, and I’ve put on weight!  However we get (back) there, we must do it slowly and carefully. As a walking netball host, I have been advised by England Netball physios, to build up game skills gradually to avoid injuries. This certainly makes sense to me. It is the same with mental well-being.

The latest WI Life magazine (issue 116) is filled with loads of ways to do this, and really worth looking at. The overall message I got from this is to return to the things we used to do when we are ready, and gradually, as with physical exercise. We can apply this to losing weight (if we want to), and take it all very slowly!

Good luck with getting back to ‘normality’.

I’m sure everybody is now aware of the Huxley Cup competition mentioned in WI Life magazine. Unfortunately, the winning WI cannot now construct its design of a raised bed at Hampton Court Flower Show, as the WI won’t be attending as a ‘body’ due to the Covid-19 situation. However, the updated competition schedule is more flexible, in that we are now invited to design a flower bed, which could be a raised bed, for a community space.

Moreover, we are encouraged to work together as WIs, which, on a wider level, supports our Centenary plans regarding community efforts. Your WI could enter the finished product into the competition, or just do it for your community.

The choice of plants is up to you. Your members could all contribute their favourites and say why this is. My favourite has always been the pansy. I’ve loved it ever since I was at nursery school, where I was given a picture of that flower, instead of a name tag, for my coat peg, my pinafore, my bedding (we had a rest after lunch), and my flannel and towel. I’ve been planting them in my gardens ever since as they are easy to grow and colourful always. If everyone involved chose their favourite, for whatever reason, we would, surely, end up with a variety of shape, height, texture and colour.

Or you could plant vegetables: they can produce a riot of colour with the added advantage of being edible. I once saw an amazing design of carrots, cabbages and many more, outside Leeds Town Hall!

Where to plant your bed? This would have to be considered, depending on what you plan to grow. I’ve already been in contact with our local church, and the gardeners there would be delighted for a WI to plant anything we like! If you chose to use a public space, you would need to contact the council, or whoever owns the space, and they would probably want to see the plans before giving permission.

There is help on getting started on the website, including tips from the RHS.

All the competition details can be found on the My WI website, and WIs have until August 2021 to submit a design. You will of course need to follow the current covid guidelines, which means we may not be able to plant our ideas in time for flowering this year—we can always plant it later, or even next year.

So get designing and make a ‘mood board’ for somewhere in your community.