???

Swabbed some cheek cells the other day and found this. I didn't post it because I knew nothing about, and I like to be somewhat in the know about what I'm posting. I did a lot of online research, and even asked some professionals, but after all that I still don't know what it is. Whatever it is though, it is the strangest and coolest thing I have found on this microscope so far. Enjoy, and if you know what this is, please leave a comment.

Potato Chip Part 2

So after my last post about a particular sour cream and onion potato chip, I just thought I should show you those "green things" that you find around the chip in greater detail. I had never thought about it before, so I did a little research to find out what they were. The internet said they were chives. This would make sense, as chives are a type of onion, justifying "sour cream and onion", but since I never trust the internet, I did the smart thing and looked at the ingredients list on the bag. According to the bag, the onion comes from onion powder, and the green things are parsley. So I'm going to say that this is parsley that we're looking at here. The next thing I thought was that since most major food companies make some sort of artificial food so that it's cheaper, that maybe this wasn't exactly real parsley. As you can see in the picture though, they do have a cell structure very similar to the plants I've looked at in the past, so this is probably at least somewhat real:) Anyway, enjoy your chips!

Potato Chip Part 1

Since the dawn of mankind we have innovated. We have researched and invented and created and questioned the world around us. However, mankind's greatest question still goes unanswered. Until today. So to everyone who ever wondered what happens to a potato chip after it is licked, here is the answer.


pre-lick

post-lick

 

It appears as if all of the things that make a potato chip tasty: the salt, the little green things floating around (this is sour cream and onion), and all other spices and flavoring, are just plain gone. Wiped away. The potato chip also loses all of its color. Stay tuned for part 2.

Cellophane

A wrinkle in cellophane

Wax

Looks like veins

Old Blood

 

 Remember that video of blood coagulating I showed a while back? Here is that same sample several months later. Science is AMAZING!

Snow

Woke up to snow today! Had to put it under the microscope and watch it melt.