A few weeks ago we did an experiment to investigate how bread goes moldy under different conditions. In today’s experiment we will compare bread and cake to find out how they age. They are both flour-based foods, but they age very differently. Can you think what the main ingredient is that affects the aging process? Here’s a clue: cake wouldn’t be the same without it!
幾週前，我們做了一個實驗，探討麵包在不同條件下的發霉現象。今天的實驗中，我們將比較麵包和蛋糕，找出它們是如何變質的。這兩者皆是麵粉做的食物，但它們變質的條件卻大不相同。你想得出影響其變質過程的主要成分嗎？線索：蛋糕缺了它就不是蛋糕了！
What you will need: a loaf of bread and a slice of cake.
實驗所需：一片麵包和一塊蛋糕。
METHOD-OLOGY
Step 1: Cut a slice of bread from the loaf and put the rest of the bread back in the bread bin. Put the slice of cake on the plate next to the bread. You don’t want other people inadvertently eating your materials, so make sure you clearly identify the plate as a science experiment.
Step 2: The point of the experiment is to see if the bread or cake goes stale first. The way to check is to prod the food and find out which one is hardest. There’s no scientific way to do this, so you just have to use your judgment.
Step 3: After about 10 minutes prod the food and see if there has been any change. Come back after an hour and prod the food again. Finally come back again after about five hours and determine which one is stalest.
方法
步驟一：切一片麵包，把剩下的麵包放進麵包收納盒中。將這片麵包和一塊蛋糕放在一個盤子上。為了不讓別人誤食你的材料，務必清楚標明這個盤子是科學實驗的器材。
步驟二：這個實驗的重點在於檢視麵包和蛋糕哪個會先腐壞。測試方式就是戳一戳兩種食物，看哪一個最硬。這個步驟沒有科學方法，所以你只能利用你的判斷力。
步驟三：經過約十分鐘後，戳一戳兩種食物，並觀察它們是否有任何變化。一小時後再回來戳一次。約五小時後再回來做最後檢驗，確認何者腐壞情形最嚴重。
ANALYSIS
實驗分析
You should have found that the bread became stale much quicker than the cake. As you might have guessed from the clue, sugar is the ingredient that prolongs the aging process. This is because sugar is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water from the air.
When the bread and cake are on the plate, moisture is constantly evaporating from them, causing staleness. The difference is that the sugar in the cake is also absorbing moisture from the air, thereby keeping the cake soft for longer.
(JOHN PHILLIPS, STAFF WRITER)
你應該發現麵包腐壞的速度比蛋糕快得多。你可能已經從線索裡猜到，能延緩食物變質過程的原料就是糖，理由是糖會吸濕，也就是說，它會吸收空氣中的水分。
當麵包和蛋糕被放在盤子上時，它們的水分會不斷揮發造成腐壞。而它們的差別就在於蛋糕中的糖份同時會吸收空氣中的水分，因此蛋糕能較長時間保持鬆軟。
（翻譯：袁星塵）
Extension:
Repeat the experiment but use different cakes and identify which one has the most sugar.
延伸實驗：
重複上述實驗，但這次改用不同種類的蛋糕，看看何者的糖份最多。
Oxford University Press (OUP) will no longer publish a controversial academic journal sponsored by China’s Ministry of Justice after years of concerns that several papers in the publication did not meet ethical standards about DNA collection. A statement published on the Web site of Forensic Sciences Research (FSR) states that OUP will stop publishing the quarterly journal after this year. FSR is a journal that comes from China’s Academy of Forensic Science, an agency that sits under the Ministry of Justice. The academy describes FSR as “the only English quarterly journal in the field of forensic science in China that focuses on
The traditional five-day workweek was introduced around a century ago and has since become the standard, along with punching in at 9am and leaving at 5pm. Recently, however, challenges to this formula have been increasing, particularly among young people. In the UK, 200 British companies have changed gears and decided to adopt a permanent four-day workweek for their employees. The new schedule will not cause any loss in pay, which is expected to result in greater employee satisfaction. Among those leading the charge for the new model are charities, marketing firms, and technology companies. Advocates of the policy say
A recent medical malpractice case involving a physician trained abroad has once again placed BoBo Doctors under public scrutiny. This incident has revived concerns about the quality of healthcare in Taiwan and highlighted ongoing debates regarding the legitimacy and impact of these doctors in the medical field. The term “BoBo Doctors” refers to Taiwanese students who fail to gain entry into domestic medical programs and instead pursue medical degrees in countries like Poland and other Eastern European nations. Not until they return to Taiwan do they attempt to qualify as practicing doctors by relying on their foreign qualifications to
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang According to supporters, a four-day workweek is an effective way for companies to attract and keep employees. Productivity can even be improved by achieving the same output in fewer hours. The primary workforce of the future, adults between the ages of 18 and 34, are strong supporters of this pattern. More than three-quarters of them believe a four-day workweek will become common practice in five years, while 65 person say they reject a return to full-time office work. This group considers mental health and general well-being as their top priorities, and it seems certain that they will be
RSS