Refrigeration

SciShow Tangents

Jan 9 2024 • 45 mins

In this not-so-chill episode, everybody gets a little unsettled by the concepts around refrigeration. Quantum computers, thermoacoustics, molecular chemistry, elephants, the phantom letter "d" that gets added to the shortening of refrigeration...it's all just. So much.

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[This or That: Fridge or Not Fridge]

Ballpoint-pen-sized device with twisted nickel-titanium and water

Credit-card-sized device plugged into your phone with lithium bromide

Two large metal balls with ammonia and water

[Trivia Question]

Frigidaire had an elephant stand on their refrigerator as a strength test

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/75945/15-icy-cool-facts-about-refrigeration

https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/cgi-bin/colorado?a=d&d=STP19390511.2.109&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA--------0------

[Fact Off]

Dilution refrigeration and ultra-cold LEGOs

https://nanoscience.oxinst.com/assets/uploads/NanoScience/Brochures/Principles%20of%20dilution%20refrigeration_Sept15.pdf

https://twist.phys.virginia.edu/work/Formal_Paper.pdf

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/the-coolest-lego-in-the-universe

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-55616-7#Fig1

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a30337510/lego-bricks-heat-tolerance-quantum-computer/

Thermoacoustic refrigeration and the James Webb Space Telescope

[Ask the Science Couch]

Freezer smells and dehydration/oxidation affecting food taste

https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/science-freezing-foods

https://extension.psu.edu/understanding-the-process-of-freezing

https://theconversation.com/heres-why-your-freezer-smells-so-bad-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-203058

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/emergencies/removing-odors-refrigerators-and

[Butt One More Thing]

USB drive found in volunteer-collected frozen leopard seal poop

https://niwa.co.nz/news/they-were-defrosting-leopard-seal-pooyou-wont-believe-what-happened-next

https://www.leopardseals.org/scat-poo-collection/

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