Concept Map - Essential Oils

I have chosen to explore 'essential oils' with the concept map project.


I have found the process of going over and through the concepts and their relationships to be a helpful mental exercise that reveals to me, more than anything, how little detail I really know about any one subject. Upon doing some research, I find an immense amount of detailed information about the subject that could be added to my concept map. It seems as though the map could be potentially endless.

In the case of essential oils, I have basically stuck to what I know and have realized that they are a class of organic chemistry that can be used by anyone. They are relatively safe, non-toxic, and easy to make basic use of. While they are often used in aromatherapy, they have a variety of applications ranging from household cleaning, to insecticides, to perfumes, to hygiene products, to food enhancers (spices).

I really enjoy exploring these substances, both experimentally/sensually and conceptually.

Week 7 - Molecular Weight

1. Inert Gas of the Week
2. Avogadro's Hypothesis
3. What is a Mole?
4. How is Chikyu doing?

1.
Inert gases - the most stable of the elements on the periodic table, i.e. they are not reactive in normal conditions;
I choose to look at Helium, specifically in liquefied form of isotope He-4

• Helium is a Noble Gas with 2 protons, 2 neutrons, and 2 electrons - 4.002602(2) g·mol
• Helium-4 is the most naturally occurring isotope of Helium -"making up about 99.99986% of the helium on earth"
• With regard to the liquefied state of Helium, I find this particularly fascinating - "When helium-4 is cooled to below 2.17 kelvins (–271 °C), it becomes a superfluid, with properties that are very unlike those of an ordinary liquid. For example, if helium-4 is kept in an open vessel, a thin film will climb up the sides of the vessel and overflow. Another name for this property of Helium is Rollin film. This strange behaviour is a result of the Clausius-Clapeyron relation and cannot be explained by the current model of classical mechanics nor by nuclear or electrical models; it is only understood as a quantum mechanical phenomenon." (wikipedia)
• 
  
• Due to Helium's naturally stable state and resistance to bond, especially with itself, it resists forming into a liquid and requires extremely low temperatures to achieve liquid states. It will remain a liquid even at absolute zero temperatures (without added pressure)!
• With added pressures and absolute zero temperatures, helium can achieve crystalline formation with only slight distinguishing qualities from liquid forms.
• More on Helium's amazing liquid and superfluid properties -

• Helium II is a superfluid, a quantum-mechanical state of matter with strange properties. For example, when it flows through even capillaries of 10⁻⁷ to 10⁻⁸ m width it has no measurable viscosity. However, when measurements were done between two moving discs, a viscosity comparable to that of gaseous helium was observed. Current theory explains this using the two-fluid model for helium II. In this model, liquid helium below the lambda point is viewed as containing a proportion of helium atoms in a ground state, which are superfluid and flow with exactly zero viscosity, and a proportion of helium atoms in an excited state, which behave more like an ordinary fluid.^[7]

  Helium II also exhibits a creeping effect. When a surface extends past the level of helium II, the helium II moves along the surface, seemingly against the force of gravity. Helium II will escape from a vessel that is not sealed by creeping along the sides until it reaches a warmer region where it evaporates. It moves in a 30 nm-thick film regardless of surface material. This film is called a Rollin film and is named after the man who first characterized this trait, Bernard V. Rollin.^[8][9] As a result of this creeping behavior and helium II's ability to leak rapidly through tiny openings, it is very difficult to confine liquid helium. Unless the container is carefully constructed, the helium II will creep along the surfaces and through valves until it reaches somewhere warmer, where it will evaporate. Waves propagating across a Rollin film are governed by the same equation as gravity waves in shallow water, but rather than gravity, the restoring force is the Van der Waals force.^[10] These waves are known as third sound.

• Mercury is used for all sorts of things... of course for balloons and blimps but also for deep-sea diving oxygen mixtures, rocketry, arc-welding, as a tracer-gas, and in liquid states as a superconductor.

2.
Avogadro's famous hypothesis - that equal volumes of gases, at the same temperature and pressure, contain equal numbers of molecules.

1. Correct - Hypotheses do not become Laws
2. Correct - Cl2O is the correct formula for Chlorine 50 mL Oxygen 25 mL
3. Initially incorrect, I misstated that equal volumes of gases contain equal numbers of particles when it is in fact equal numbers of molecules. I then selected the correct answer - the formula for ammonia as Dalton would have it would have been NH.

Avogadro's number - N_A the number 6.02 x 10²³ (or more accurately 6.022 1415 x 10²³ with an uncertainty of 0.000 0010 x 10²³)

3.
What exactly is a mole? A mole is a unit of measurement that equals the chemical amount of a substance. It is a quantity of something that equals the molecular mass of a certain element. (1)

4.
Chikyu - the ship that was drilling to the deepest parts of the Earth; how is it doing??


In an article about the ship and its technology on Ship Technology.com, I found mention of it not having really begun drilling until 2007;

"The Chikyu was delivered to its owners in 2005, but since then it has been carrying out a range of system integration tests. These were followed by a shakedown cruise, undertaking test drilling off the Shimokita Peninsula to ensure that everything is working satisfactorily before it commences full operations in 2007. It is anticipated that future operations will be carried out off Kenya as well as off Australia."

And Science Daily.com has some more news from early 2007:

"Their achievement marks the launch phase of the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE), a major research initiative into the triggers and mechanisms of earthquakes and tsunamis supported by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). NanTroSEIZE is expected to continue until 2012, with the ultimate objectives of drilling across the plate boundary fault responsible for magnitude 8 earthquakes to sample the rocks and fluids in the fault, and to place instruments within it to monitor activity and conditions leading up to the next great earthquake."

It appears as though Chikyu has only just begun to explore the Earth's crust.

Holes In Heaven - H.A.A.R.P

As I had said I would, I added a link to the video(s) about the technologies that are intended to manipulate the Ionosphere and cause shifts in weather, human thought-emotion, and telecommunications. Enjoy...

Lunarily Speaking

Week 6 Inquiries - Electro-Alchemy

1. Halogen of the Week
2. Scientific Explorations - Science Toys
   
3. Alchemy - what's this?

1. Halogens -

The halogens or halogen elements are a series of nonmetal elements from Group 17IUPAC Style) of the periodic table, comprising fluorine, F; chlorine, Cl; bromine, Br; iodine, I; and astatine, At. The undiscovered element 117, temporarily named ununseptium, may also be considered a halogen. (old-style: VII or VIIA; Group 7

The group of halogens is the only group which contains elements in all three familiar states of matter at standard temperature and pressure.

Chlorine (IPA: /ˈklɔəriːn/, Greek: χλωρóς chloros, meaning "pale green"), is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is a halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17 (formerly VIIa or VIIb). As the chloride ion, which is part of common salt and other compounds, it is abundant in nature and necessary to most forms of life, including humans. In its common elemental form (Cl₂ or "dichlorine") under standard conditions, it is a pale green gas about 2.5 times as dense as air. It has a disagreeable, suffocating odor that is detectable in concentrations as low as 3.5 ppm^[1] and is poisonous. Chlorine is a powerful oxidant and is used in bleaching and disinfectants. As a common disinfectant, chlorine compounds are used in swimming pools to keep them clean and sanitary. In the upper atmosphere, chlorine based molecules have been implicated in the destruction of the ozone layer. (gotta love Wikipedia)

2. This is what science is all about - understanding the processes and mechanics of nature! I found the solar cell particularly amazing. While not being practical or efficient, I understand better how and why a solar cell works. I look forward to more innovations of solar energy-capturing technologies in the future.















3. Alchemy - the root of chemical science. When combined with astronomy, the root of mathematics and physics, we have a completely amazing understanding of the natural world in the context of the natural world.

It is my understanding that alchemy is the practical application of the inner knowledge that spontaneously arises through being still and doing nothing ('non-conceptual meditation' as my teacher calls it; zuowang - to sit & forget). So in a sense, alchemy is the fluid activity that arises out of the stillness and is manifest in various forms that sometimes look something like science, or something like art, and sometimes have a magical or "difficult to grasp" quality.

Alchemy is an artistic investigation and play that when harmonized with the natural power of nature, becomes naturally 'magical' and mysterious to those who do not understand the ways of nature. Alchemy is simply the playful interaction we have with our surroundings (heaven & Earth | Yin & Yang)

Laozi says, "My words are easy to understand and easy to apply, yet no one in the world can understand them and no one could apply them. Words have their origin, and events have their leader. Only because of prevailing ignorance am I not understood. The fewer who understand me, the more precious I am. So the sage wears the shabby cloth, but holds treasures within."
| translated in a slightly different way:
"My words are easy to understand and easy to put into practice. Yet few people in the world can understand them, and fewer still put them into practice. My words have a view, and my practice has a precedent. if you do not apply the view and practice it is difficult to understand me. Those who understand are rare and those who practice are rare, indeed. Yet, it is by these few that we can measure the greatness of the Way. The adept practitioner shows an unrefined appearance, but conceals precious jade."

With respect to science and the Modern Mind-view, Laozi's words respond:
"I see that those who want to take over the world and manipulate it do not succeed. The sacred mechanism of the world cannot be manipulated. Those who manipulate it will fail, those who hold onto it will lose it. Matter either leads or follows, heats or chills, strengthens or weakens, enhances or destroys. So the sage abandons extremes, extravagance, multiplicity."

In this way, we may begin to understand how trying to break apart and force the natural world and our own bodies (which are intimately connected to the natural world) to behave and perform and react however we desire, will ultimately lead to failure and dissolution of our desires.

Alchemy, both Western and Eastern, are harmonizing arts that explore the playful and abundant qualities of reality/experience through working with the subtle and dense substances of what is considered to be sacred and powerful stuff.

Luminescence

Isn't reality fascinating?

Light is energy! energy is all things - solid to subtle!

Luminescence is an amazing quality. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see the subtle light cascading off of the localized molecular processes around our bodies?
I suppose this describes what is called 'bioluminescence'.

Every range of light has a specific vibration which has a specific effect on vibrations (of molescules/atoms) around it. These various radiations of light, (i.e. luminescence, bioluminescence, photoluminescence, etc.) are generating entire cascades of electromagnetic wave/particle effect - which could be compared to the effect of the Butterfly flapping its wings. Even the most subtle release of energy can cause massive shifts in the realities surrounding it.

WOW.

Colors of Food

In our kitchen there is an abundance of green, yellow and brown with some lightly added orange/red. There is a heavy lack of blue but there are in fact some blueberries!

As a visual artist and chef, I try to incorporate color and variety of texture/color into the meals I make. It is important that the varying elements blend and mutually enhance one another. From an aesthetic veiwpoint, this has to do with harmony of composition - the correct placement of the correct amount of something in a context. From the health and nutrition standpoint, this means a fuller spectrum of nutrients and vibrational energies.

Did you know that blue light kills certain bacteria?

Some people do LED light therapy.

Alkaline Earth Metal(s)

"The alkaline earth metals are named after their oxides, the alkaline earths, whose old-fashioned names were beryllia, magnesia, lime, strontia and baryta. These oxides are basic (alkaline) when combined with water. "Earth" is an old term applied by early chemists to nonmetallic substances that are insoluble in water and resistant to heating--properties shared by these oxides. The realization that these earths were not elements but compounds is attributed to the chemist Antoine Lavoisier." (wikipedia)

I am going to choose Calcium due to a powerful and painful experience I had with calcium deposits getting lodged in my kidney and causing me INTENSE pain; commonly called a 'kidney stone'.

Oh Calcium, what is there to understand about this massivley available element?

"It has an atomic mass of 40.078. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust. Calcium is the fifth most abundant dissolved ion in seawater by both molarity and mass, after sodium, chloride, magnesium, and sulfate.<sup>[1]" (wikipedia)

What else?

Oh yes! That's right, our bones are made from this amazing element!! In fact "</sup>As a major materal used in mineralization of bones and shells, calcium is the most abundant metal by mass in many animals." (wikipedia)

I also find it interesting that Calcium is one key element in slaked lime, which is a product used in natural building to seal earthen walls. I actually used some lime mixed with saw-dust as a filler in the spaces between the Cob-Earthen walls and the logs I placed on that wall. WOW



"Other compounds include Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), one of the common compounds of calcium. It is heated to form quicklime (CaO), which is then added to water (H₂O). This forms another material known as slaked lime (Ca(OH)₂), which is an inexpensive base material used throughout the chemical industry. Chalk, marble, and limestone are all forms of calcium carbonate."

That's pretty amazing. we actually need a constant supply of calcium in our diets BECAUSE it is used in various chemical processes and is the primary element that makes up the structure of our bones.

Week 4 - Review of Greener Industry's Atom Economy

Upon first viewing, this site impresses upon me the fact that it was designed by either an engineer or a scientist. It is perfectly rectilinear and sterile in its communications. Perfect for the information it holds yet perfectly isolated in its mechanistic construction.

And so now I will go on to read it...

[reading site]

Wow. This information on atom economy is almost as cryptic as this:



I think Atom Economy is wonderful, especially for a materially obsessed and reductionist-scientific world-view. What else is there to say except that we are living in the absurdity of illness in an ever-expanding and abundantly healthy universe.

Have you ever heard of chem-trails?

"Barium salt, polymer fibers and other chemicals, in the atmosphere are the physical irritants that are responsible, for the recent epidemic increase in cases of nose bleed, asthma, allergies, pneumonia, upper respiratory symptoms and a noticeable increase in arthritis symptoms, recently reported nationwide. Chemicals illegally sprayed into the atmosphere are producing atmospheric and ground conditions detrimental to human and animal health but favorable to the growth of harmful molds and fungus."

Now THAT'S some chemical negligence!

And I can only stand in insanity with the poetic truths pointed out by Terence McKenna who, in a flashing-back today while I listened to a talk of his on the world and it's double, says, "A true language is beheld... I think that the real nub that we are trying to get at is that the world is mental... in some way that we do not yet understand... the world is made of language... so... whenever we get into these discussions about reality or effects in space and time, we are operating outside this assumption that the world is made of language... I mean do we really need to believe in the existence of distant galaxies like GNC-245 if in fact the world is being produced in the cerebellum as a phenomenon of language?"

Gotta love the titanic poetics of such a pot-head.

Try listening to his trialogues with chaos mathematician Ralph Abraham and biologist Rupert Sheldrake to get some real DEEP scientific discussion and thought provoking goodies.

MAHALO to you humans.

Studies Show...

Studies show that studies are inherently flawed...

Week Four Inquiries - Part 2 - Green Economy

Well, we have people discussing the subject and the market is being driven (by top down or bottom up???) into an almost hyper-active 'greening'. One may find it hard to really say whether this process of 'greening' is genuine or not and how profound and widespread the level of actual ecological and environmental concern truly is. Surely we are 'waking up' to the need to reorganize and reevaluate our obviously misguided and disturbed concept of ourselves and the Earth we live in thus leading to conversations about such topics as Environmental Economics, and Green Economy.

I think we are quite far from our goal of completely renewable and clean technologies and I feel that if we are lucky and courageous and strong, we will survive in such a ways as to pursue these technologies and these economic systems on a global scale. There is a great shifting and re-birthing of awareness on our planet and I look forward to the creative expansion and explosion that arises out of it.

I am gratefully reminded that our outer experiences are very intimately connected to our inner psyche and that any unresolved energy/material will eventually have to be moved through and re-processed in a manner that is reflective of the awareness and willingness of the individual or system or group or universe. In other words, we see in our world what we choose to misunderstand or not-relate with in our own selves. So in the case of our global crisis, we can view it as a random and uncontrollable destruction of life caused by our own ignorance, greed, and unwillingness to cooperate with Nature, OR we can view it as a transformational cleansing process that will lead us through and into a higher experience and understanding of our interrelatedness, mysteriousness, and magnificent elegance. It is a death or a birth...

ALOHA - may you simply breath the breathe of ALL THAT IS - GOD - AUM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM

Week Four Inquiries - Part 1 - Catalysts

1. Catalysts - Did you know that a catalyst is used in the production of some margarines?
1. Metals such as Palladium and Nickel are used in the hydrogenation of oils/fats
1. Let's look at Nickel, shall we - Nickel - atomic number 28, Nickel is a natural cubic crystalline structure is commonly used "in electroplating and metal alloys because of its resistance to corrosion. Also in nickel-cadmium batteries; as a catalyst and for coins." (1)
2. Powdered Nickel assists in the catalytic hydrogenation of the fats by helping the hydrogen atoms to bond to the fatty acid chains, thus altering their structure and hence creating a more solid fat or 'fatty plastic'. The Nickel is removed prior to the cooling of the oil. (2) (Sounds lovely don't it?)

Sources:

1. Margarine and Nickel - http://www.hyfoma.com/en/content/food-branches-processing-manufacturing/oil-margarines-sauces/margarine
2. Hydrogenation - http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-278814/hydrogenation
3. Info on Nickel - http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Ni.html#Overview