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Turning to mush
THE LAST WORD Strike action If I am swimming in an outdoor pool surrounded by tall trees, and a tropical thunderstorm breaks out, am I at an increased risk of being struck by lightning in the pool? And will it harm me?
n Lightning normally strikes tall
Last words past and present, plus questions, at last-word.com
a lightning strike. Perhaps they were far enough away from the point of impact to escape with their lives. A typical swimming pool might not be sufficiently big to dissipate the energy associated with a lightning strike. In July 2006, Michael Haffenden was standing by the metal steps of the pool of a hilltop villa he had rented in Tuscany, Italy, for a family holiday. Tragically he was killed when lightning struck the pool, even though there would undoubtedly have been taller objects close by. Given that lightning is known to travel through plumbing, some experts even recommend staying out of indoor pools, baths or showers during electrical storms.
objects, particularly when they stand on an otherwise flat and featureless landscape. The base of a storm cloud is generally negatively charged, which, by repelling electrons, induces a positive charge on the ground below. An electric field is thus set up in the air sandwiched between the cloud and the ground. Lightning will take the path of least resistance but, if the cloud base and the ground are both flat, there is no obvious route “A typical swimming pool might not be sufficiently for an electrical discharge. big to dissipate the energy Given that a tall object should associated with lightning” increase the local electrical field strength, one might naively expect surrounding trees to act Leaving the pool is the best as decoys for a lightning strike. option when a storm is However, there are many other approaching. The trees would variables, not least the shape probably reduce the chances of the and height of the cloud base. pool being struck but, given the Water is a good electrical finite size of a pool, a swimmer conductor so, when lightning would be too close to the strike to strikes, the current tends to be avoid serious injury or death. If a confined to the surface and storm arrived out of the blue and spreads out in all directions. I could feel my hair standing on This puts swimmers at risk and end, I would be tempted to duck there are plenty of documented under water and swim submerged incidences of injury and death. to the edge of the pool, as far away For example, two out of a group as possible from any ladders that of nine swimmers were seriously extend above the poolside. injured in waters off Chiba Mike Follows Prefecture, Japan, in 2005, after Willenhall, West Midlands, UK
Questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Include a daytime telephone number and email address if you have one. Restrict questions to scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena. The writers of published answers will receive a cheque for £25 (or US$ equivalent). Reed Business Information Ltd reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material submitted by readers in any medium or format.
New Scientist retains total editorial control over the content of The Last Word. Send questions and answers to The Last Word, New Scientist, Lacon House, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8NS, UK, by email to [email protected] or visit www.last-word.com (please include a postal address in order to receive payment for answers). For a list of all unanswered questions send an SAE to LWQlist at the above address.
Turning to mush When I fry mushrooms in oil they quickly absorb all the liquid, making the pan quite dry. But after a couple of minutes they suddenly start to release it all again. What’s going on?
n In fields, mushrooms seemingly appear overnight, generally following damp conditions. This is because the mushroom, or fruiting body, draws in water rapidly from its mycelium within the soil to expand and appear above the surface as a mushroom. This means mushrooms contain about 90 per cent water and have very few calories. What’s more, unlike plants, which have cell walls containing cellulose, the cell walls of fungi contain chitin. When mushrooms are fried in fat, the fat is initially absorbed into the chitin wall which, because of the heat, then ruptures to release the water that has been contained within the cells. How one overcomes this problem of mush is a matter of debate. I have drained off the fluid and added double cream to the pan. A friend who teaches domestic science told me that one should immerse the mushrooms in a hot stock for a few seconds and then fry them. This way they do not go mushy. I tried this and she is correct. I assume that the hot stock causes the chitin wall to become more flexible so that it does not crack and release the internal fluid within at the time it is being fried.
Finally, if you are lucky enough to come across a giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea) while foraging, a slice fried in butter out-tastes any mushroom and never becomes mushy. Gillian Coates Anglesey, UK As ever with fungi, we advise readers to be absolutely sure of the species they have brought home before consuming it – Ed
This week’s questions Lane changer
In multi-lane traffic jams on the motorway, I often seem to move into the faster-moving lane just as it becomes stationary and the lane of traffic I just left starts moving. Assuming that other drivers experience the same, or are not deliberately trying to stymie me, what is the best strategy for getting through multi-lane traffic jams as quickly as possible? Peter Slessenger Reading, Berkshire, UK Ink blob
I’ve often noticed that after a biro pen has seen regular use, ink seems to coagulate at the nib, leaving thick deposits on paper that are easily smudged especially when you start using it again after a period of disuse. What is it that causes this to happen? Is it related to any of the chemicals used in the ink? R. Casterton By email, no address supplied
Why are orangutans orange? A new collection: the usual insight, ingenuity and wit – this time with full colour photographs Available from booksellers and at newscientist.com/orangutans
n Lightning normally strikes tall
Last words past and present, plus questions, at last-word.com
a lightning strike. Perhaps they were far enough away from the point of impact to escape with their lives. A typical swimming pool might not be sufficiently big to dissipate the energy associated with a lightning strike. In July 2006, Michael Haffenden was standing by the metal steps of the pool of a hilltop villa he had rented in Tuscany, Italy, for a family holiday. Tragically he was killed when lightning struck the pool, even though there would undoubtedly have been taller objects close by. Given that lightning is known to travel through plumbing, some experts even recommend staying out of indoor pools, baths or showers during electrical storms.
objects, particularly when they stand on an otherwise flat and featureless landscape. The base of a storm cloud is generally negatively charged, which, by repelling electrons, induces a positive charge on the ground below. An electric field is thus set up in the air sandwiched between the cloud and the ground. Lightning will take the path of least resistance but, if the cloud base and the ground are both flat, there is no obvious route “A typical swimming pool might not be sufficiently for an electrical discharge. big to dissipate the energy Given that a tall object should associated with lightning” increase the local electrical field strength, one might naively expect surrounding trees to act Leaving the pool is the best as decoys for a lightning strike. option when a storm is However, there are many other approaching. The trees would variables, not least the shape probably reduce the chances of the and height of the cloud base. pool being struck but, given the Water is a good electrical finite size of a pool, a swimmer conductor so, when lightning would be too close to the strike to strikes, the current tends to be avoid serious injury or death. If a confined to the surface and storm arrived out of the blue and spreads out in all directions. I could feel my hair standing on This puts swimmers at risk and end, I would be tempted to duck there are plenty of documented under water and swim submerged incidences of injury and death. to the edge of the pool, as far away For example, two out of a group as possible from any ladders that of nine swimmers were seriously extend above the poolside. injured in waters off Chiba Mike Follows Prefecture, Japan, in 2005, after Willenhall, West Midlands, UK
Questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Include a daytime telephone number and email address if you have one. Restrict questions to scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena. The writers of published answers will receive a cheque for £25 (or US$ equivalent). Reed Business Information Ltd reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material submitted by readers in any medium or format.
New Scientist retains total editorial control over the content of The Last Word. Send questions and answers to The Last Word, New Scientist, Lacon House, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8NS, UK, by email to [email protected] or visit www.last-word.com (please include a postal address in order to receive payment for answers). For a list of all unanswered questions send an SAE to LWQlist at the above address.
Turning to mush When I fry mushrooms in oil they quickly absorb all the liquid, making the pan quite dry. But after a couple of minutes they suddenly start to release it all again. What’s going on?
n In fields, mushrooms seemingly appear overnight, generally following damp conditions. This is because the mushroom, or fruiting body, draws in water rapidly from its mycelium within the soil to expand and appear above the surface as a mushroom. This means mushrooms contain about 90 per cent water and have very few calories. What’s more, unlike plants, which have cell walls containing cellulose, the cell walls of fungi contain chitin. When mushrooms are fried in fat, the fat is initially absorbed into the chitin wall which, because of the heat, then ruptures to release the water that has been contained within the cells. How one overcomes this problem of mush is a matter of debate. I have drained off the fluid and added double cream to the pan. A friend who teaches domestic science told me that one should immerse the mushrooms in a hot stock for a few seconds and then fry them. This way they do not go mushy. I tried this and she is correct. I assume that the hot stock causes the chitin wall to become more flexible so that it does not crack and release the internal fluid within at the time it is being fried.
Finally, if you are lucky enough to come across a giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea) while foraging, a slice fried in butter out-tastes any mushroom and never becomes mushy. Gillian Coates Anglesey, UK As ever with fungi, we advise readers to be absolutely sure of the species they have brought home before consuming it – Ed
This week’s questions Lane changer
In multi-lane traffic jams on the motorway, I often seem to move into the faster-moving lane just as it becomes stationary and the lane of traffic I just left starts moving. Assuming that other drivers experience the same, or are not deliberately trying to stymie me, what is the best strategy for getting through multi-lane traffic jams as quickly as possible? Peter Slessenger Reading, Berkshire, UK Ink blob
I’ve often noticed that after a biro pen has seen regular use, ink seems to coagulate at the nib, leaving thick deposits on paper that are easily smudged especially when you start using it again after a period of disuse. What is it that causes this to happen? Is it related to any of the chemicals used in the ink? R. Casterton By email, no address supplied
Why are orangutans orange? A new collection: the usual insight, ingenuity and wit – this time with full colour photographs Available from booksellers and at newscientist.com/orangutans