Stuff that I have Learned in Material Development

Devising a well thought out study in cognitive psychology is just like devising a well thought out experiment in any other science -- hard. 

At least for this little first year baby. 

That being said, one of the most important things I've learned in graduate school so far is that the best way to get over being intimidated is to simply dive into a project, and brace yourself for the impending criticism over your hard work. 

Recently, I was set the somewhat intimidating task of writing materials for a new project. These materials to be more specific, include needing to know about a variety of phenomenon from areas like biology, ecology, physics, meteorology, and even perception. Writing these materials is at times frustrating, but so far I have learned SO MUCH! So, I thought it'd be fun to share a few of the things I've learned since starting this project.

Disclaimer: The follow information comes from stories reported in Scientific American and on the Discovery News webpage. I take no credit for any of this.  

1) There is a major python problem in Florida

Over the last 12 years, 2 major species of python; the Reticulated Python and the Burmese Python have been taking over the Everglades in Florida, and no less than 6 additional species of snakes are on the rise in the area! 

EW! 

Apparently these snakes all fit a similar ecological niche...they all eat wading and water-dependent birds and small mammals. If this sounds like the familiar niche already filled by the Alligator, thats because it is. The problem is that Alligators are a native species to the Everglades...they've lived for an extremely long time around their prey, and thus their tasty meals have evolved and adapted to their presence (which naturally regulates gator numbers). These animals however, are inept at dealing with the pythons, and it's kind of no wonder - because while pythons are perfectly capable of swimming and sunning themselves like their native competition, they can also climb trees, and hide underground. 

What is Florida's response to this reptilian onslaught? 50$ paid to anyone bringing in a dead python. 

But I bet you're wondering why the snakes are even in the Everglades in the first place...

They're popular exotic pets, and over the years certain specimens have been LOST or LET GO! 

...one more time 

EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! 

for the love of God, if you plan on investing in a deadly snake, at least have the decency to commit to it!

2) There is a perfectly good excuse not to like wheat bread.

Whole-wheat bread is naturally not as appealing as the white version made of bleached, refined flour. There are a number of reasons for this. Some don't like the grainier texture, some don't like the flavor difference, and (as is the case with me) some don't like how sweet it is (or can be). According to some recent research, the culprit is ferulic acid, which is found in the outer layer of wheat grains.

(Picture above is a wheat loaf and set of rolls baked by my mother. Home bakers have the choice of trying to mask the flavor influences by ferulic acid with added sugar or not. Mom doesn't add extra sugar, and I always seem to like the product she ends up with). 

 

Evidently, changing amounts of ferulic acid in a loaf of bread is shown to have a major impact on the taste and smell of the bread. Ferulic acid is bound to wheat cell walls until the fermentation and baking process. However, at this juncture in bread-making, it gets released and starts altering the bread's flavor and aroma. Digging a little deeper, studies reported that ferulic acid has such a large impact on bread because it suppresses a compound called 2AP, which is responsible for the “wheat bread” taste. 

Because people tend not to like the flavor this compound creates, bakers find success in adding extra sweetness to wheat bread (which granted, isn't the case with all brands, but definitely is for the store  brands I've experience). Researchers in this area propose that by minimizing the release of ferulic acid during baking, it might be possible to alter the taste of a wheat product, bringing it closer to a "white bread" taste. However, if the flavor of wheat bread is your cup of tea, I highly doubt 2AP will be going away any time soon. 

I will update as I find more interesting stories, of course...writing these is wayyy too much fun. In the meantime, I'm back to looking for the perfect science articles to inspire my new materials.