Illustration credit: Japanese Space Agency (JAXA)
ASTEROID BOUND: CJ and Annabelle are space-bound again, well at least in name. They've hitched rides to Mars and the moon, but now, their names will be on board a Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) craft heading to an asteroid temporally called 1999 JU3. It is a C-type or carbonaceous asteroids, which are the most common variety, comprising about 75% of known asteroids.
JAXA is scheduled to launch Hayabusa-2 in 2014. The craft will arrive at an asteroid in 2018, and hang out there for 18 months, investigating.
Per Annabelle, "The first Hayabusa was launched by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency) in 2003. Now the same company (JAXA), is going to launch a satellite
that, while exploring asteroids, will carry names (and messages)! Hayabusa-2
will try to collect samples from the asteroids, and bring them back to Earth."
MEATY SUBJECT: We continue our "Science of Gastronomy" course, this is week five of six, and its focus is on meat and sauces..
Today we learned about the different USDA grades of meats (Prime, Choice and Select, from best to not as best). We learned that meat from a cow's neck and shoulder areas is tough, because those parts have lots of connective tissue and do lots of work. On the other hand, tenderloin has the least amount of connective tissue and it gets little action, therefore it's the tenderest tender.
And according to JAXA, "The Hayabusa2 will be equipped with a target marker to touch the asteroid. The target marker will be dispatched to the asteroid, and then landed on its surface to stay there. We will record you name on this marker to deliver it to the asteroid."
You can also opt to have your name orbit the asteroid and come back to Earth! The names will be "recorded in the memory chips that will be loaded onto the re-entry capsule, and the capsule with your names and messages will come back to Earth in 2020," per JAXA.
That's pretty cool! You even get a neat-o certificate of participation when you sign up.
If you hurry, you can get your name on board, too. Just visit this link: http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/messages/hayabusa-2/ by 5 p.m. Pacific time on Aug. 9, 2013.
Today we learned about the different USDA grades of meats (Prime, Choice and Select, from best to not as best). We learned that meat from a cow's neck and shoulder areas is tough, because those parts have lots of connective tissue and do lots of work. On the other hand, tenderloin has the least amount of connective tissue and it gets little action, therefore it's the tenderest tender.
We learned that you can alter the texture of meat by cutting it in different directions. For instance if you cut it across the grain, it's more tender. That's because meat has long, parallel-running muscle fibers, and if you slice parallel to them, it can make for tough going for your teeth. However, if you slice across them, it shortens the pieces of muscle fiber and it's noticeably more tender.
We also learned about ways to modify meat's texture, including physical methods of slicing and pounding. The professor also demonstrated other methods to tenderize meat by treating it, for instance with baking soda, apparently a technique used commonly in Chinese cooking. It works because the baking powder becomes slightly alkaline when dissolved in water, and then some of the peptide bonds in connective tissue and muscle fibers will be split or cleaved under this condition. Who knew? (Not me, clearly.)
We were also taught how marinades work to make meats more tender. Marinades often contain acids (like vinegar), and acids partially denature the meat’s proteins, weakening the muscle tissue and increasing its water-holding capacity. (One of the things that has been fun about this class is that I've long know the 'what' regarding some of this stuff, but it's teaching us the 'why.')
And we learned about natural meat tenderizers, like pineapple, kiwi and ginger. They contain protein‐digesting enzymes which can make meat more tender. However, the professor pointed out that they are effective most toward the surface, so injecting them can be a good way to get through and through results.
WAVELENGTH: On Facebook this afternoon I learned NASA is collecting photos of Earthlings waving at Saturn for a photomosaic they're creating. People can email their snaps to saturnwebmaster@jpl.nasa.gov. We sent a couple in, including the one below ...
Speaking of photos, yesterday I got an email from a man in South Korea. He wanted to know if his company, SureQuitous, which "is well known for IP cameras." He said he wanted permission to use one of the photos I have parked on Morguefile "for open market, leaflets, newspaper advertisement, box covers, and smartphone applications. May I have your permission to use your image?" 
Um, OK, Andrew. So Annabelle's image will be plastered on some or all of the above. Interesting.
We also learned about ways to modify meat's texture, including physical methods of slicing and pounding. The professor also demonstrated other methods to tenderize meat by treating it, for instance with baking soda, apparently a technique used commonly in Chinese cooking. It works because the baking powder becomes slightly alkaline when dissolved in water, and then some of the peptide bonds in connective tissue and muscle fibers will be split or cleaved under this condition. Who knew? (Not me, clearly.)
We were also taught how marinades work to make meats more tender. Marinades often contain acids (like vinegar), and acids partially denature the meat’s proteins, weakening the muscle tissue and increasing its water-holding capacity. (One of the things that has been fun about this class is that I've long know the 'what' regarding some of this stuff, but it's teaching us the 'why.')
And we learned about natural meat tenderizers, like pineapple, kiwi and ginger. They contain protein‐digesting enzymes which can make meat more tender. However, the professor pointed out that they are effective most toward the surface, so injecting them can be a good way to get through and through results.
WAVELENGTH: On Facebook this afternoon I learned NASA is collecting photos of Earthlings waving at Saturn for a photomosaic they're creating. People can email their snaps to saturnwebmaster@jpl.nasa.gov. We sent a couple in, including the one below ...
I received this message back: "Lovely pictures, thank you! The Cassini Outreach team." So, we'll see if we make the cut, tho I have no idea when the mosaic will be published.
Um, OK, Andrew. So Annabelle's image will be plastered on some or all of the above. Interesting.
I believe hayabusa is Japanese for perigrine falcon - a very fast bird. Suzuki made a very fast motorcycle and called the powerplant the Hayabusa Engine.
ReplyDeleteI stupidly never thought to look up what Hayabusa meant. Cool!
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