Disney World Pics Of The Day--Day 3

We were totally geekin' out today, and it was SO MUCH FUN!! We got to explore all the cool sciency hands-on learning type stuff that Disney does so well. We got to learn about carbon nanotubes, and nanomagnets, and solar energy, and atom assemblers, and how plastic bottles are basically made of polyester, and how, after we drink their contents, they are often turned into fabric, including that polar fleece that the fashion-and-comfort-conscious are wearing so much in Oregon right now. (As I've noted in my previous Disney posts, that's what we've been needing to wear in Florida too, but today, the weather took a turn for the better. It actually got up to 68 and we had to break out the sunglasses. Whoo-hoo!) If you'd been here with us, you'd have gotten to design your own robot, learn the history of silly-putty, learn how excitons are going to triple the capacity of solar cells, and how carbon nanotubes coated in folic acid will bond with folic acid receptors in cancer cells so that doctors can KILL the little mutants. Doesn't that sound like fun?

So, here are our pics of the day. If you think there are too many of me, that's Kedley's fault. He controlled the picture selection, which is why there are so many of me and all the ones of him are "hammy." It is also why there's a picture of fire, and another of food.

Carbon nanotubes? Wheeeeee!!

Hangin' with Jimminy.

How do you like Ked's new "Do?"

We got to play with fun, expensive toys. Again, need I say, wheeeee!?!

First, they let us design our own robots, which was cool. Then, they let us race the robots we designed, in a computer simulation. Ked kicked butt! Then, things got a little tricky. They actually wanted us to build the thing. You can see how well that went. We decided our luggage was already too full anyway.

After the robot-building came the "Mission To Mars." Like the intrepid, but cautious, explorers that we are, we opted for the less intense "green" level mission training. That went pretty well. We both survived, and didn't crash or throw up on anything. Then, Ked got a little cocky. He decided to up the "thrill level" and move on to the more advanced "orange level" training, where they throw in G-forces and spinning. The photo tells you how well that set with him. We had fast passes to move on from there to the Test Track for some more high-speed action, but after Kedley calculated the odds of revisiting his lunch, we decided to take on something tamer.

One of the tamer, but interesting things we did was the Circle-Vision movie about China. Really neat. There are continuous screens all the way around the room, showing film from cameras mounted on the exteriors of helicopters and airplanes, providing a panoramic view of Chinese landscapes and city scenes. It made us want to go there. Outside the theater, they had a display of replicas of the terra cotta soldiers that stand guard in the tombs of dead emperors. Lucky soldiers-- not only do they get to stand guard forever--they even get terra cotta horsies to play with.

We were both getting pretty tired by the end of the day. So what did I do? I found a comfy bench, and I made it mine.

We went to a fancy restaurant for dinner and requested a seat at the counter, so we could watch the chefs at work. This was one of the highlights of the day, especially for Ked. It combined two of his favorite things: fire and food.

Doesn't this pretty much speak for itself?

We ended the evening with a lovely stroll down the Boardwalk, followed by fireworks. Ked got to see fire; I got to see fireworks. So far, the vacation's going great. See ya tomorrow.

Update: Weirdness alert. Blogger apparently eliminated one of the photos, so it looked like I was all excited to get to play with mannequins. There are a number of things wrong with that. Fixed now.

Silkworm Pupae--Yum!

Over at Pink Tentacle, they're keeping us updated on the latest plans for nutritious Martian cuisine. Should we ever colonize The Red Planet, we'll have to be prepared to provide for ourselves, since a supply ship trip from Earth will take 18 months. Scientists in Japan are thinking about what should be on the menu.

At a recent meeting of the Japan Geoscience Union held in Chiba, Professor Masamichi Yamashita (58) of the Japan Aeropsace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unveiled a unique space agriculture concept that would liven up the rather mundane task of cultivating rice in greenhouse domes. In his concept, settlers would plant mulberry trees and breed silkworms, the pupae of which would be consumed as a source of animal protein.

Okay, I've eaten some weird things in Asian restaurants, and seen even weirder things on the menu, but I would never have thought this one up. Just too squishy. The pupae are being suggested as food for chickens and fish, which settlers could raise on Mars, but also as a tasty snack for humans.

“When cooked, silkworm pupae taste like shrimp or crab meat,” says Professor Yamashita. “People all over Japan ate them during the food shortages after World War II, and you can still buy canned pupae in Nagano prefecture.”

I need to remember to run to the store and stock up on canned pupae. Professor Yamashita says Japan's long-established culinary culture is an advantage when looking for efficient ways to carry out space agriculture. Yes, I can see how an ability to cook silkworm pupae creatively would be a great asset in the Martian kitchen. I really don't mean to make fun. We're the culture that invented Spam after all, but one thing I can tell from reading things like this: there's going to be a lot of adjusting to do for people who are serious about space exploration.

I'm not sure I'm cut out for it. I just can't see myself sitting around the dinner table saying, "Pass the pupae, please."

Hat tip: Futurismic

Vindication

Those of you who know me (and I suspect that that's almost everyone who bothers to glance at my little corner of the blogosphere) know that my husband frequently frets over my lack of interest in food. Not only would he like to have me spend more time concocting tempting gourmet meals--he's something of a food snob--he also thinks I would benefit from more caloric intake. However, there is increasing scientific evidence that restricting the calories a bit can help slow the effects of aging, and potentially extend lifespans. Studies with rats are shoring up that claim. So, I figure when I don't feel much like a big meal, I'm actually just jump-starting human scientific trials on the benefits of a lower calorie diet. Hey, it works for the rats. Pass the cheese, please--but just a little. I'm really not that hungry.