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The Grandson’s Inheritance: Grandpa’s Walker
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Separated at Birth: Cheney and Sir Topham Hatt?
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Matt Palmquist
A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Matt Palmquist, a former Miller-McCune staff writer, began his career at daily ne...
World Press Photos in Focus
Ready for a close-up: The year in award-winning photojournalism presented by the World Press Photo Exhibition.
Ranking States’ Citizen Embarrassment Levels
Amid a rush of political scandals and missteps, we figure that some citizens are more embarrassed for their state than others. We look at the shameful headlines and determine where these states would rank on the citizen embarrassment level.
State of Embarrassment — Texas
How textbook changes and talk of secession affect the citizen embarrassment level in Texas.
State of Embarrassment — Tennessee
How battling Obamacare and being highlighted for corruption affect the citizen embarrassment level in Tennessee.
State of Embarrassment — Illinois
How former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and state corruption in general affect the citizen embarrassment level in Illinois.
State of Embarrassment — Virginia
How gun laws, Confederate History Month and a statue of Stalin contribute to the citizen embarrassment level in Virginia.
State of Embarrassment — New York
How rampant corruption, a governor’s affair with a prostitute and the fall of “America’s Cop” affect the citizen embarrassment level in New York.
State of Embarrassment — Arizona
How immigration laws, a state boycott and a “worst sheriff” honor affect the citizen embarrassment level in Arizona.
State of Embarrassment — California
How a budget deficit, credit crisis and the Governator affect the citizen embarrassment level in California.
Italian Purple People Protest Berlusconi the Bombastic
Tens of thousands of ‘Purple People’ — named after the traditional color of Italian mourning — march in Rome to protest a legendarily bombastic, allegedly corrupt prime minister. Is the country finally ready to say basta?
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Having a Nose for Degraded Documents
A scientific ‘sniff test’ could aid museums and libraries in preserving their old works without damaging the actual documents.
Ever wondered why your grandfather’s cherished, dog-eared copy of Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire smells like that? Or why the Declaration of Independence retains the unmistakable musk of 1776?
At long last, scientists have developed a “sniff test” to measure the telltale aroma of old books and irreplaceable historical documents. You know the smell — that “combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness,” as the authors put it. Inhale and smell the Industrial Revolution!
In a recent edition of the American Chemical Society‘s journal Analytical Chemistry, professor Matija Strlic and colleagues describe their development of a method to gauge the degradation of paper pages based on their distinctive smell. The nondestructive technique, called “material degradomics,” could aid museums and libraries in preserving their old works without damaging the actual documents, the researchers say.
The smell of an old book, the study asserts, is caused by hundreds of volatile organic compounds that the paper releases into the air over time; those compounds also reveal changes in the paper’s condition. Strlic’s test was applied to “sniff” 72 historical papers from the 19th and 20th centuries; the documents contain rosin, pine tar and wood fiber, which are the materials that degrade quickest in old books. Binding and other media, including photographs, also contribute to the pace of a book’s degradation.
So the next time you pick up that copy of the family Bible, take a whiff of Deuteronomy and smell the volatile organic compounds. You’ll be glad you did.
The Cocktail Napkin appears at the back page of each issue of Miller-McCune magazine, highlighting current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.
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from the source
Young Artists, Scientists Think Logically, Creatively
The “two cultures” are one: New research finds no significant differences in the problem-solving patterns of arts and science students at one British university.
Internet Censorship, Here and Over There
European and American governments find different reasons to restrict the Internet.
It Turns Out There Is Accounting for Taste
New research finds people’s taste in entertainment remains remarkably consistent, regardless of whether they’re reading, watching or listening.
Telework: One Idea to Hold Down Government Cost
A conservative thinker argues encouraging more federal government employees to work from home could save taxpayers money.
Europe Boasts of its Solar Power Strength
As it’s announced that thee-quarters of new photovoltaic systems are going up in Europe, it’s fair to ask what happened to the former U.S. dominance in solar.
