Science Friday - Pickle Edition

Harper has a new favorite food. Pickles! A girl after my own heart. 

In the spirit of Science Friday, here are some things you may or may not have known about pickles.

• Cucumber pickle factories commonly ferment cucumbers in large outdoor vats of salt brine. These vats usually have no cover, and are wide open to falling bird droppings, insects, and other airborne objects. However, according to Jim Cook, a food scientist with the Minnesota-based pickle manufacturer Gedney, tanks are left open for an important reason: The sun’s ultraviolet and infrared rays prevent yeast and mold growth on the brine surface—potentially a much more serious problem than bird droppings. 

• Many people consider pickle brine a useful commodity. It’s been used as a soup stock, a hangover remedy, a drink, and - for many eastern European women - a cosmetic.

• Pickles played an important role in Colombus’s discovery of America in 1492. Around the time of Colombus, many transoceanic voyages were thwarted because crews suffered from scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C. Colombus’s ship stocker, a man named Amerigo Vespucci (who was a pickle merchant turned explorer), stored ample quantities of vitamin C-rich pickles on the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria, helping to prevent scurvy outbreaks on the historic voyage across the Atlantic. 
  

Harper's First Christmas -- Part 2

Harper got lots of good loot, but I think that this thing is her favorite (next to Flo The Flamingo, that is).

Rob and I were pretty conservative with what we got Harper this year. We knew that she was going to be inundated with presents from her fan club. I did however, get her one special gift. I have wanted to get her a pair of these since I found out that I was pregnant. Rob and I both have a pair, so it is only right that she have a pair too. 

Harper's First Christmas

Just when Christmas was starting to lose some of it's magic, Harper came along and made it fun again. She had a fantastic first Christmas. Stories, videos, and more pictures will follow. For now, here are a few of my favorites. 

Christmas Eve for Twelve-Year-Olds

It's nights like tonight that convince me that Rob and I are just pretending to be adults. It started out innocent enough. We, along with my parents and several of their neighbors, attended a candlelight Christmas Eve service at a rather conservative Presbyterian church. Near the end of the service, the congregation sang the carol "What Child Is This?". When we got to the second verse, I started to crack a smile. Then I saw that Rob was also struggling to keep a straight face and I almost lost it. Yes. We are 12 years old.  

1.What child is this who, laid to rest,

on Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

while shepherds watch are keeping?

Refrain:

This, this is Christ the King,

whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

haste, haste to bring him laud,

the babe, the son of Mary.

2.Why lies he in such mean estate

where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

the silent Word is pleading.

Refrain

New Friend

Harper made a new friend.

Weekend Update

What a busy weekend. Here's the rundown.

Friday:

1. Learned how to do microsurgery on the carotid artery of a mouse. 

2. Had a board game night with some good friends. I didn't win, but I should have.

Saturday:

1. Laundry. Lots and lots of laundry.

   

2. Attended a wonderful Christmas party.

Sunday:

1. Packing. Lots and lots of packing. 

2. Saw my neighbor's bare butt. I opened my front door and saw him getting his morning paper without any pants on. Not only was he missing pants, he also didn't have any underware on. In fact, the only thing he did have on was a t-shirt. When I opened my door, it startled him and he dove for his door. Seriously! Who does that? How long does it take to put on a pair of pants? I'm sure he's embarrassed (no pun intended), but I hope he learned his lesson. 

   

3. Road trip to Florida to spend Christmas with my parents. The cat puked again although this time I was able to aim her into the litter box. Some day I will remember to pick her food up the night before we leave.

   

Science Friday - Christmas Edition

The Star of Bethlehem is only mentioned in chapter two of the book of Matthew. However, this idea of a bright star leading the wise men to the birth of Jesus Christ has become an iconic symbol of the Christmas season.

Is it possible to determine what exactly the star was that heralded the arrival of the Savior? Some astronomers have tried to analyze the sky around the time of Jesus's birth to find out if there is a scientific explanation for the Christmas Star.

To track down the real Star of Bethlehem, we first need to know roughly the date of Jesus' birth. As a matter of convention, people generally say that Jesus was born on December 25, 1AD. However, most scholarly evidence suggests this is not accurate. Due to a miscalculation in the calendar made by a sixth-century monk, Dionysius Exiguus, Jesus was probably born sometime between 7 and 1BC, with 4BC being the most often used date. Additionally, the time of year for Jesus's birth also points to a warmer month than December. One reason for this is that the shepherds were out in their fields tending to their flocks when the angels came to them. This would happen in a warm month but probably not a winter month such as December.

Three main astronomical objects could be responsible for the appearance of an unusually bright star. These include a comet, a supernova, or a conjunction of planets. Comets were recorded in both 5 BC and 4 BC. The comet in 4 BC, in particular, is a good match because it fits with the year most commonly believed to be the actual time of Jesus's birth and the comet that appeared that year did not have a tail, making it more "star-like." 

A supernova also occurred within the above time frame. Recorded in March and April of the year 5 BC by Chinese astronomers, a supernova appeared in the constellation Capricornus. This "star" that suddenly appeared glowed for approximately 70 days- long enough to guide the Magi to Bethlehem, before fading again.

In addition, conjunctions of planets occurred throughout the years mentioned above, but the one most often cited as a good possibility for the Christmas Star is the one which occurred on June 17, 2 BC. On this date, Venus and Jupiter appeared so close together in the evening sky that they would have appeared to be one very bright star in the constellation Leo. This would have been a significant sign for ancient astrologers. Leo was considered the ruler constellation, and this impressive conjunction would have certainly been noticed by the wise men of the time.

The bottom line is that no one really knows what the wise men saw. It could have been a comet, supernova, or planetary conjunction. Or perhaps it was a true Christmas miracle. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. I love that God has instilled in us a sense of curiosity and a desire to figure things out. I also love that He has told us that we won't be able to figure everything out and that we don't have to.

Deuteronomy 29:29
“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.

What ever the explanation may be, the real miracle of Christmas is that God loved us enough to change the rules of the game and give us His Son. Love wins. Merry Christmas.