Can't stop laughing

What happens to whisky in the bottle?
With the second ever International Scotch Day being held on the 8th of February, we thought we'd take a look at a little bit of science in relation to whisky - the old bottle effect (OBE).
The whisky professor at scotchwhisky.com has provided some insight into the old bottle effect and the different effect it has on whisky to wine.

Old Bottle Effect is, in short, the idea that beverages flavor changes in the bottle over time - oxidization of the liquid in the bottle is most commonly thought to be the cause. In beverages where a cork is present this will happen slowly over time as oxygen permeates out of the cork and into the airspace between the cork and the liquid. Oxidization for foodstuffs is normally what producers try to avoid. It is what makes foods spoil faster, lowering shelf life. Many food producers will use nitrogen to displace oxygen in packaged foods like crisps or salads. In some cases they will vacuum pack foods to remove oxygen, and indeed most air, to avoid spoilage.

The same process occurs for wine where nitrogen, supplied either by a gas cylinder or gas generator, displaces the oxygen in the area between the liquid and the cork. However, there is a difference, some oxidization from the cork can be desirable to alter certain flavors in wine such as reducing the fruitier tastes and enhancing vanilla and nutty notes. This will only occur with the slow dispersion of oxygen to the bottle, too much and the wine will very quickly spoil and turn to vinegar. Should a cork not be used, no oxidization will take place and a fruitier wine will be the result.

For whisky there is a slightly different story again. Where oxygen will react with wine quite easily, this is less true for whisky. The main reason for this being whisky's much higher alcohol content. Alcohol will absorb the oxygen, slowing down the process of oxidization. This will not completely halt the old bottle effect, but it will take a much longer period of time for any effects to be recognized.

Whisky gas generator

There is still some argument over what causes Old Bottle Effect in whisky due to the change in distilling methods having the potential to impact the flavor. As the whisky professor surmises, there is little way to tell exactly what impact Old Bottle Effect has on whisky, the only way to find out would be analyze the production methods used for a particular whisky today, run it through a Gas Chromatograph (GC) to analyze its components, leave it bottled for 20 years, run it through the GC again and compare the results.

Old Bottle Effect still remains a bit of a mystery for whisky drinkers but with GC, there may be an answer. The only problem is, it may take a little while.

Peak Scientific manufacture and support laboratory gas generators, primarily for mass spectrometers and GC. Find out how a Peak generator in your lab could increase workflow and reduce downtime, particularly when compared with gas cylinders.

10 Things You Never Knew About Laughter
1. Laughter raises your heart rate and blood pressure.
Your breathing speeds up, too. It’s like you’re exercising! Laughing for 10 to 15 minutes burns about 50 calories. Check out the people in this video doing Laughter Yoga:

2. The science of laughing and its effects on the body is called Gelotology.

3. Want a good laugh? Watch a funny movie with friends or family.
People are 30 times more likely to laugh in a group than alone.

4. Laughter fights stress.
Your brain releases endorphins when you laugh, which makes you feel happy.



5. Adults laugh about 15 - 30 times per day.
Females laugh slightly more than men. And babies? They laugh 300 times per day. Watch the video below to find out what this baby finds so hilarious. We dare you not to laugh.

6. It’s hard to catch your breath when you laugh because your diaphragm spasms.
This is why your laughter sounds like “ha-ha-ha” or “ho-ho-ho” or “he-he-he”.



7. If you laugh a lot, you may get sick less often.
Laughing causes a hormone called HGH to be released. HGH boosts your immune system and helps you fight germs.



8. Tickling and laughter is a form of bonding and communication between a parent and a child. (Charles Darwin noted this in the late 19th Century.)

9. You can’t make yourself laugh by tickling yourself.
Why? It’s impossible to surprise your brain. Your brain predicts the sensation your fingers will make just before you tickle yourself, so it’s not a surprise.


10. Forty hours and 8 minutes.
That’s the world record for the longest stand-up comedy show by an individual. That’s A LOT of jokes. The comedian’s name is David Scott, aka, The Midnight Sw***er.

Humor and work have always had a tenuous relationship, albeit one that has softened in recent years. Even in the most casual office environments, there are certain stigmas and uncertainties surrounding humor.

The reasons behind this hesitation are obvious; humor often comes with a bite. It’s about poking fun or making light of things that matter to people, and this inherent edge can easily lead to conflict. On top of that, some leaders associate humor with a lack of dedication or seriousness about work.

However, these fears surrounding humor in the workplace are not only unfounded, they directly contradict a growing body of research that suggests that workplace humor is paramount to productivity, cohesion and creativity.

Here are 8 fascinating facts about how humor defines and enhances modern business:

1. Humor Is More Important Than Pay
An industry-wide study of over 2,500 people found that 55% of workers would take less pay to have more fun at work. This means a majority of people would literally take a pay cut for a more light-hearted work environment.

2. A Sense of Humor Reduces Sick Days
Laughter boosts your immune system by enhancing your antibodies (which help fight infections) and increasing your immune cell count. This helps reduce your chances of illness and missing out on work.

3. Joking Around Does Not Distract People From Work
Worried that office humor will lead to distraction? Studies show increased humor in the workplace does not detract from people’s productivity or their ability to complete tasks that require concentration.

4. Humorous Advertisements Are More Effective
On the marketing side, humor has been proven to make advertisements more memorable and increase the likelihood of the viewer taking action. Studies measuring advertisement awareness found that ads with humor had nearly 25% greater impact across the board.

5. Laughter Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Blood Flow
Not only does laughter help your immune system, it also has an effect on your cardiovascular system. Laughter can lower your heart rate, reduce your blood pressure and even improve the function of your blood vessels; laughter causes an expansion of your endothelium (the tissue that forms the inner lining of your blood vessels), which improves blood flow and even reduces your chances of cardiovascular disease.

6. Supervisors Who Use Humor Are Perceived as Better Leaders
Leaders who integrate humor as part of their management style are not only proven to foster greater work performance, satisfaction and cohesion amongst workers, they are actually perceived as better leaders and managers. Subordinates also report experiencing greater work satisfaction when working with managers who integrate humor in their interactions.

7. Fun Environments Reduce Burnout and Turnover
Not surprisingly, humor in the workplace has been proven to enhance worker’s coping mechanisms and reduce worker withdrawal and burnout. It has also been shown to improve employee retention and reduce overall rates of attrition.

8. Humor Boosts Creative Thinking
Humor has been proven to help develop creative thinking in various settings. Not only does it provide a more colorful environment, a playful office also helps encourage openness and diminish the fear of criticism towards outlandish or creative ideas. Even people who don’t share their humor at the office are more relaxed about speaking up in settings where levity is encouraged.

A Word to the Wise
Humor may do wonders for lightening the mood, but it also has the power to dampen it. Jokes, no matter how farcical they are meant to be, can also be used to perpetuate negative stereotypes. Stay away from any remarks about protected classes, which may be interpreted as discrimination.

Jokes should also not be used to veil criticism, put somebody down or make light of something serious or sensitive. Here are some tips for lightening up a professional environment the right way:

If you are in a new situation or one that lacks humor, you can set the tone by making a joke about yourself; this signifies that others are welcome to incorporate humor, while avoiding the possibility of offending someone. A little bit of well-timed self-deprecating humor can also demonstrate that you are self-aware and confident enough to laugh at yourself.
If you do make jokes about others, use it to lift them up (e.g. “John keeps insisting he’s a beginner at Photoshop, but he seems to be designing the next freakin’ Da Vinci masterpiece over here!”), not to put them down (e.g. “Yeah, you were right when you said you are beginner at Photoshop!”).
A good joke won’t make people feel singled out (e.g. “Why did you do that? What sort of weirdos were you working with at your last job?!”); it will help them assimilate (e.g. “You’re addicted to coffee too? You’ll fit in great here.”).
Humor can be a powerful tool for bringing people together in any setting, including a workplace. Considering you spend the majority of your day with your co-workers, it’s worth fostering a tight-night and playful environment that you actually enjoy.

Majestic!

People Share Their Worst ‘F*ck My Life’ Moments And They’re So Sad It’s Funny

We've all had the days when the only thing that's on our mind is "f**k my life". Whether you spill a cup of coffee across your keyboard, leave the oven on when you go to work, or arrive home only to find that you've left your house keys at the office, we've all had those f**k life moments. One might say that it's the Murphy's Law in action, others blame the wrong faze of the Moon, but more often it's just the universe giving you a funny f**k life or, for shorter, FML story to tell.

While the page , from which these stories came, was started in 2008, it had reached its glory age in 2009 when their book was published. At the same time, they were catering the public with a couple of thousands of daily FML stories submissions.

However bad you think your life might be, chances are it's not nearly as bad as it is for these people. Take a look at our FML stories list below to see what we mean. The tragically funny anecdotes that come from fmylife.com serve to remind us that no matter how bad things get, they could always be worse...

Firstly, To begin with, I would like to mention that I am not a writer. I am yet to author a book, fiction or nonfiction.

Secondly, I suffer from foot-in-mouth disease, that is say that I fumble with my speech. I am nervous while communicating with others. I misspell and words ramble. I miss my words. My grammar sense is inadequate. I am incoherent in speech.


Thirdly, I am old, immature, lazy, introvert and fussy.


Despite my mental and physical handicaps, one fine morning I thought of writing a short story. So I start with a paper and pen in my hands and a foggy thought in mind. In the murky waters of my turbulent life, I search for a plot. Millions of ideas rush to my mind like a maddening crowd grabbing the freebies or the amateur athletes’ at the start of marathon race. The ideas come in flash and crash out like the flicker of candle in the storm. I am back to square one with my mind as blank as the sky above me. I try to focus on the world around me. Animate and inanimate objects that surrounded me offer nothing. I glance at the trees, birds, dogs, dew drops on grass, plants nimbus clouds and weather. I look at the minor swirl of creamy tea in the cup. Nothing strikes.

I turn inside. There is stillness. No feelings, no emotions worth a dime.


My thought process is broken. My puppy barks. “Oh my dear puppy, you have given me a plot,” I murmur to myself. I decide to write on my puppy. Ka-boom ! Get Set Go ! … And I start writing my first story.

My puppy is black. It has four legs, one tail that does not sway and it barks at everyone…….. What next?

I am lost again. That is all I can think of puppy. There is big full stop standing guard at my thinking self, at the door of my aspiration to be a writer. It is OK. I console myself, not to worry. Failures are a part of life. No one can succeed without tasting the bitter failure.

Taking a break, I light a cigarette. May be the ni****ne can help ignition of some brilliant ideas. But it makes the matter worse; I cough and thus get a mouthful of sermon from my wife on the ill effects of smoking.


I turn to newspaper; turn over the pages from front to back to get something worthwhile to write. The newspaper is full of political news, mishaps, sports, economics, stocks and guest columns and local news. I even read the obituaries and matrimonial and others ads. Being apolitical, middle class family person, a lazy bum and an introvert, I don’t find anything exciting. All bland and plain reporting fails to rouse and vibrate my obstinate grey cells.

I surrender for the time being. I am fighter and will fight tooth and nail till my last breath. It is now time to get ready for the office. I brush my teeth and take a nice bath to refresh myself. Nothing in the bathroom inspires me, although there are many idea-provoking items such as stained mirrors, fragrance of soap, lifeless sanitary items to accept our biological waste, journey of dancing water from tap to the bucket producing melodies and even the humming tune of my favourite song.

I walk to my office not far away. At the entrance to my office, I press my finger on bio-metric machine to register my arrival. “Press again,” announces the female voice in the machine and I oblige like a gentleman. The female-machine acknowledges and broadcast a recorded automatic ‘Thank You” in a somewhat harsher tone.

Sitting firmly in my office, I take note of the agenda for the day. For about two hours, I work like a horse and then I ask my peon to bring me a cup of coffee. As I take the first sip, the writer worm somewhere in my body or mind starts to shift, making me fidgety.
I resume my writer avatar and start to find a subtle hint of invincible plot in my job and profession. My job is just as monotonous as the sea of pending tasks. I think of my boss who does nothing except dictating orders. He is in his own web of superiority. My colleagues affectionately call me Mr empty-dull-head who has no sense of humour and have already boycotted me; they find me a one-pound bag full with five pounds of s**t. My subordinates are all yes men. Therefore, there is no one who can offer me a plot.


Desperate to find the elusive plot, I get up and walk towards the window, turn the Venetian blinds and watch the life beyond my room. No soul in sight, only a stray dog trying his luck at the dustbin, I turn back and go to the rooftop of my look five-storey office building. Like an eagle looking for the weak prey, I begin my search of the vast expanse of trees, road networks, all means of surface transport likes cars, buses, scooter, motorcycles, bicycles and the people. There is total chaos and randomness. There is symphony of honking. Noise and peace overlap each other. How can one find a clue in this confusion of the highest order? The sun is shining brightly. It is almost noon. Unable to bear the scorching heat, I return to my room.

The day passes peacefully but the hide and seek game continues.

In the evening, it is time for my evening prayer. I turn to 33 Crore Gods and Goddesses. I recite mantras. All these give me peace of mind but not the blessings to become the writer. I turn on the music. The music is loud and lyrics are vague. Lack of rhythm provides no solution to my predicament. I read whats-app messages and face book posts. Nothing special to mint in these posts and messages except the jokes and photographs dominated by selfies. Just flicker of an idea and then crash landing!

At this stage, I am almost mad. My head floats aimlessly as if in zero gravity. I can feel the emptiness inside my skull.

But I don’t give up!

Now is the turn of most powerful invisible and greatest bliss of modern science, “The Great World Wide Web”. I boot my computer and type out ‘creative writing’ on Goggle search. Wow! 7, 23, 00,000 results in just 0.67 seconds. My joy knows no bounds. I board the bus of world-wide-web to reach my destination. There is plethora of tips, software for plot generator, character generator, scene generator, name generator, first line generator etc. I take a dive into this myriad ocean and soon find the junk of ridiculous ideas.

I join the online course of ‘creative writing’ of four weeks duration. With renowned enthusiasm I listen to the video lectures and submit my assignments regularly. I get horrible reviews from my peers like the prologue and epilogue of a horror story. With due regards to the reputation of the online instructor, I quit the course.

oh kids