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liquid nitrogen

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This is why vodka doesn’t freeze

Vodka drinkers often like to keep their favorite alcohol chilled in the freezer. It gets nice and frosty, yet it never freezes solid. So what gives? Will vodka ever freeze? The short answer: Yes it freezes, but it’s not something you have to worry about in your home freezer. It all has to do with the scientific phenomenon known as the freezing point, or the temperature at which a substance freezes. This temperature varies depending on the make up of the substance. A bottle of vodka is made up of primarily water and grain alcohol, or ethanol. Water freezes at  32ºF or 0ºC, but pure ethanol has a freezing point much lower, –173ºF or -114ºC. Because vodka is a blend of these two substances, each which comes with its own freezing point, vodka doesn’t freeze at the same temperature as either water or ethanol, but rather somewhere in the middle.…

FDA warns of dangers associated with eating foods prepared with liquid nitrogen

Well, it was fun while it lasted. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just sent a piece of your summer fun up in a cloud of smoke. The FDA issued a safety alert on Thursday warning consumers about potential dangers associated with eating food containing liquid nitrogen.  Liquid nitrogen laced foods such as cereals, ice cream, and cheese puffs have become popular in recent years because they “emit a misty or smoke-like vapor,” according the the FDA alert. This vapor leaves the consumer with the ability to briefly blow smoke out their nose and mouth to look like a dragon. The foods, often called “Dragon’s Breath” or “Heaven’s Breath”, are commonly served at fairs and festivals, as well as mall kiosks and some ice cream shops, the FDA said. The alert said serious injury, including internal organ damage, can result or eating such foods. Individuals with asthma could be especially at risk. “The FDA…