Thanksgiving Leftovers

Looking for a way to use those Thanksgiving leftovers without actually eating them?  Smear them on yourself!  Apparently, there are scientific reasons why leftovers like pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes may be better on your body than in.  Here's a challenge: can you pick them all out?

http://improbable.com/2010/11/27/smear-thanksgiving-leftover-food-on-your-body/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ImprobableResearch+(Improbable+Research) Which leads to http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/pumpkin-pie-facial-use-thanksgiving-leftovers-for-skin-care/19729777

Pippin's Question Box

How does jello solidify? (from the top down, sides in, bottom up, etc.)
Explain these concepts: Heat Transfer, Free Convection vs. Forced Convection Best

Pippin's Question Box

The Science of Cooking Teaser

What causes cookies to burn? Best

Guesses on the new (upcoming) theme?

Got Science?

Hey! Pippin here, and there are some issues that I need to clear up before I start the answer to this week's question. First, how many of you readers want extra credit over goodie bags? According to the poll, nobody wants regular goodie bags, and yet nobody answers when only extra credit is offered. Does anyone what to clear that up for me?

Also, I want to comment on some of the answers- (get it? comment? answers? Never mind) Great answers from everyone! You're all explaining and everything. However, some mistakes to look out for:
For whatever reason, if you forget a link, please go back and post it so we can make sure that you did the research to find the answer
Also, I'm sure this is unintentional, but make sure you don't copy and paste stuff- I'll be on the lookout, and we don't tolerate plagiarizing on this blog.

Finally, some answers are pretty straightforward, while some, I have to point out, are really nice and fun to read. I'm looking for quality answers as well, and they're just more fun to read. Even adding a "Ever wonder what makes your Coke explode in your face?" makes the entire answer a lot more interesting. Check out njguy's and iluvmusic comment on the last soda question, those are great models of a fun answer.

Now, to this week's question: what makes soda fizz? Of course, I have a question: what exactly do I mean by fizz? Like, the bubbly feeling that you get in your mouth when you drink it, or that hiss and the bubbles that come when you first open it, or the big explosion you get when you shake up a bottle and open it in your friend's face? (Note: shaking a bottle of soda and opening it in anyone's face has an extremely high likelihood of making a mess and upsetting that person. I DO NOT advise you try it unless you have the permission of the person and the person who owns the area you are currently in.) However, the answer is the same for all of my question(s): carbon dioxide, or CO2. Basically, soda makers put in carbon dioxide into soda at a really high pressure to keep the carbon dioxide dissolved, sealing it tightly and quickly. When we open it, or shake it, or put ice cubes in it, the carbon dioxide is disturbed and forms bubbles and floats to the surface (if it has enough energy) once it's no longer under high pressure. All of the bubbles that float to the surface is fizz. Although it's starting to make me wonder: what would happen if we froze soda? Would we see the bubbles in the ice cube? Or what if we froze it all the way down to the freezing point of carbon dioxide? Would the carbon dioxide stay in the soda? And why do they use carbon dioxide to carbonate the water? Why not, say, oxygen? And what would happen if we used frozen CO2 to chill our soda? Would anything unusual happen? Well, I never thought so much about soda before today, but there you go! And now I have to work on my ISN before I get in big trouble. Hope you learned something today!

http://www.sciencetheatre.org/ask_st/033094.html
http://www.knowswhy.com/why-does-soda-fizz/
http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae441.cfm

Got Science?

Almost forgot! Did you know there's an expiration date on toothpaste?

Okay, the last question box: Can you bake a pie in a microwave? Apparently, yes. I yahooed it, and here are some results:

North pole Recipes (for pecan pie in the microwave): For some reason, I find "352 days until Christmas!" slightly amusing. Why bother count?

Metal and Pie in Microwaves: Thanks to iluvmusic! This website is all about using metal in the microwave and how it is safe when done correctly- and it does mention pie. Apparently, though, you have to use metal utensils and pots that are definately safe for the microwave because certain shapes and sizes and other factors will cause the metal thing not to work right. Also, don't stick any metal thing with a black plastic handle made of phenolic, because the handle will explode (there goes using our pots). Anyway, I'm not going to try- we once accidently put a little foil in the microwave and there were sparks and, well, scary stuff. We took it out immediately and I've been spooked ever since.


Kudos to smile4evah for having actually baked a pie in a microwave!

I actually thought of this question a loooonnng time ago, and my friend and I had an extremely... amusing conversation consisting of conducting experiments with pies and microwaves far away from civilization (in case it explodes). Well, that's it!

Pippin's Question Box

Can you "bake" a pie in a microwave- or will it just explode? (best)