You probably already know that cooking involves a ton of chemistry. Bread rises because of the reaction between the flour and leavener, and the delicious crust on your steak is formed by the Maillard reaction. Understanding the chemistry going on behind the scenes is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your food—it's much easier to fix a problem when you know what's causing it.
Cooking may be an art, but baking is a science. It requires precise measurements since the outcome is based on chemical reactions. Using too much or too little of one ingredient can be the difference between perfect, crunchy-yet-chewy cookies and the dreaded "one big cookie." That's why frozen cookie dough and pre-made bread and cake mixes are so popular. They're easy to throw together, and pretty much guarantee success every time. But what if you're feeling so lazy that you don't even want t...
In the first video, you'll see how contact between different materials can result in attraction or repulsion. Experimental results are discussed that led to Ben Franklin's one fluid theory of electricity. It explains how clues were found from rubbing different materials together.
Create a larger, more sophisticated studio photography lighting setup but still use simple materials
In this tutorial, we learn how to make an earring holder with everyday materials. first, you will need a box lid from a shoe box or a scrapbooking box. After you have this, slide a black piece of nylon over the top of the box and then tie the feet and top together on the back of the board. Cut off any excess nylon that is left over. After this, you can stick your earrings into the nylon and they will hang there securely! This will only work for hook on earrings because there's no back to it, ...
In this video, we learn how to shrink plastic with household materials. You will need: tin foil, plastic container, scissors, glove, and colored markers. To start, you will preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Then, cut a piece of the plastic out in a square shape. Next, draw whatever you want onto your piece of plastic. Make it as colorful as you would like to! When finished, put this in the oven using a glove. Make sure it's on the foil when you put it in. Then, leave it in for less than a minu...
It is a well known fact that due to the rotation of the Earth about its own axis has a bulging effect on the equator and a slight flattening effect at the poles. This experiment tries the reproduce the same effect using simple materials.
In this tutorial, we learn how to make polymer putty with household materials. You will need: borax, white glue, water, 3 plastic cups and spoons, and food coloring to color your putty. Now, dissolve 4 tbsp of Borax in 2 liters of warm water. Then, prepare equal parts of glue and water together. To make this, you will need 2 parts of the glue solution to 1 part of the Borax solution. Once you mix these together, you can add in some food coloring to it. Pour this into different cups to make di...
In this video, we learn how to make green fire from household materials. You will need: antifreeze, boric acid, and a glass jar. First, pour the antifreeze into the jar until it's 1/3 of the way filled. After this, drop a spoonful of the boric acid into the mixture and mix it up thoroughly. Now, let it sit for 30 seconds and then go into a dark room. Light this up, then watch it burn! You can also put it into a spray bottle and spray it over a flame to see the green fire right in front of you!
This video explains how to solve several problems associated with gardening in arid environments. Rhubarb is a plant that is commonly grown in colder environments. In arid environments, its very important to not over water it, so keep it in a sandy soil with lots of organic compost material. Plants such as the peace lily also need well irrigated soil, so it is important to pot it in an organic potting soil in a location that allows the water to drain away from the pot instead of soaking back ...
In this video tutorial, viewers will learn how to make two pairs of simple earrings. The video provides all the materials required to make the earrings. The materials required include: freshwater pearl disk, 4 mm Swarovski crystal, bally bead accent, 2 mm silver bead, head pin, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers and wire cutter pliers. This video provides step-by-step instructions and a visual demonstration for viewers to easily understand and follow along. This video will benefit those view...
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to weave a pouch for an MP3 player. The video lists all the materials required to make the pouch. The required materials include: cardboard, a ruler, scissors, yarn needle or bodkin, scraps of yarn or 10 crochet yarn and a marker or pencil. This video provides voice narration and a visual demonstration for viewers to easily understand and follow along. This video will benefit those viewers who enjoy homemade accessories. This is for those who enjoy we...
This is Part 1 in a series from FollowThePaperTrail. In this arts and crafts how to video the host will lead you through the process of preparing the materials necessary to create paper roses, from punched or die cut flower patterns. She teaches you how to soak the materials, once they've been cut, and spray them with starch so that they retain their shape. Following up on that she demonstrates the techniques she uses to form the flower patterns into a more three dimensional shape.
This video is a demonstration by A-BnC parties on the making DIY poker theme centerpiece. This is a rather simple do-it yourself video. The start of video lists a couple of materials needed to make the centerpiece like over sized playing cards, play paper money, power chips, card stock, shish kabob sticks, optional sun glasses and a just add sand centerpiece. The optional things required are glue and scissors to make changes to the materials and to stick them together. Following this video on...
One of the many significant changes in Minecraft Beta 1.3 is the way half-blocks or slabs work. Before you could make stone slabs out of three pieces of stone and use them to builds stairs, but it took a lot of material and was limiting as far as choices. Now you can make slabs out of wood, cobblestone, sandstone, or normal stone, and this video will show you how it works.
When fancy kicks started making their way into the indie scene, the art of custom leather shoe painting exploded. If you want to custom paint some kicks to show you creativity in this high-visibility area, watch this video for an in-depth guide to prepping any leather (not patent leather) shoes for painting by using Acetone, cotton balls, and other basic materials.
An electrophorus is a type of capacitor that generates electrostatic energy. Most of you probably know this force as static electricity, the domain of door handles and polyester shirts. It can be used for all sorts of other fun science experiments though, and this video will show you how an old hard drive, some plastic, Styrofoam, foil, a cat, and other simple materials can be used to make a a simple functioning electrophorus.
If you are the proud owner of a laser cutter, you had better be careful with your expensive new toy. Some materials can damage the optics in your laser or produce poisonous gas when you cut them, so you need to make a gas containment chamber to work in. Watch this video to find out how to do that out of silicon wafer, silicone sealant, and a metal cookie tin lid.
Justice might not have produced any new material in a while, but their place in electronic music history is already secured due to their filthy electro-house beats that have become ubiquitous in the years since they first broke out. Watch this video to learn how to make a dirty electro bass synth line like theirs in Reason 4.
Perspex is a durable and fashionable material, so getting tables like this made of it at the stores is expensive. If you've got some tools and wide DIY streak though, you can make one yourself with about 8 hours of time and this video, which will teach you just how to do it.
The trucks on your skateboard are it's only piece of connective material, and keeping them clean and lubricated is absolutely crucial to having good rides. Watch this video to learn how to take apart, lubricate, and the put back together your trucks.
Hardened steel is a very useful material, but working with it is tough because it is nearly impossible to cut with simple tools. What you really need is an angle grinder, and this video will show you how to use one of the powerful power tools to cut a hardened steel ring.
Tony is not the most well-known of Die Hard characters. He's the guy who McClane writes, "Now I have a machine gun ho-ho-ho" across the sweater of and leaves for Hans Gruber to find. He makes a good, quick, conversation-starting Halloween costume, and this video will show you how to make a Tony costume yourself out of a sweatshirt and other basic materials.
If you like the idea of building rockets that will soar through the air like angels but don't want to bother with operating high explosive, it's possible to build pretty darn powerful rockets out of water. This video will show you how to do so very easily out of junk that you probably already have.
The human body is full of different kinds of fluids, most of which are either gross or dangerous to remove from a person for use in one of your films. Fortunately, most of them are pretty easy to replicate using household materials. This video will show you how to make edible prop fake blood, feces, vomit, and snot. They all look great, are safe, and will make you movie much more realistic.
Kids have an infamous reputation for thinking vegetables are icky. After all, when compared to more fatty and grease-loaded foods like Hot Cheetos and french fries, it seems veggies just taste too...healthy. Which is apparently not a good thing in the eyes of a sugar and salt-obsessed child.
If you're looking to tie something that is elegant and beautiful, then this next tutorial has something for you. This video is going to show you step-by-step on how to tie a Japanese bow knot.
This video is a 2-for-1 special. It will teach you how to make not one, but TWO cool props for a film or costume. They are, in no particular order, a gas mask / ventilator and a laser pistol. Both look very cool, require some materials and carpentry skills, and are sure to make your next sci-fi film much more realistic and enjoyable to watch.
Want to build your own infrared motion detector? It's easier than you think! So easy, in fact, that this video tutorial from MAKE can present a complete overview of the build in under five minutes! For more information, including a full list of materials and detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started building your own passive infrared motion alarm, take a look.
In a time of ubiquitous electronics, soldering is an essential skill. Fortunately, if you don't already know how it's done, it's an easy skill to pick up and the tools and associated materials can be had for cheap. This video tutorial from MAKE will get you started. For more information, and to get started using a soldering iron yourself, take a look.
Jewelry making may be too advanced for your young ones, but these wire rings are the exception. It's the perfect project for your kids, and it's easy and fun. There's hardly any materials involved in making this wire rings, and your girls will wear them forever! At least, until they get a real wedding ring. Materials needed are:
See how to prepare your renders in Cinema 4D for export into After Effects. This tutorial also delves into the process of importing your render into After Effects and adding materials to your 3D scene. For more (and better) information, including step-by-step instructions, and to get started transfering your own work from Cinema 4D to After Effects, watch this free video software lesson.
Real rockets require top ingenuity from physics and engineering experts, but you can construct a smaller replica that costs almost nothing can can be made from materials you already have at home or can find at a hardware store.
In order to prepare and decorate a Wildlife Safari Cake, you will need to pre-prepare royal icing and a pre-made cake.
In this video, we learn how to make wholemeal pizza at home. You will need: 3 c wholemeal flour, 1 tbsp yeast, 1 pinch of salt and sugar, small amount of olive oil and 1 1/3 c water. First mix all dry ingredients together, then add oil and water little by little until it makes a dough and everything is well mixed together. Now, flour your hands and your surface and place the dough on top of it. Knead the dough until it is a dough consistency. Now place the dough into a bowl and put a damp clo...
Mongolian flank steak starts by making a marinade from one half teaspoon sugar, one teaspoon corn starch, one tablespoon of vegetable oil, one table spoon of soy sauce, one teaspoon of rice wine, and one teaspoon of sesame oil. Stir up the marinade. Cut a three quarter pound flank steak into pieces about one quarter of an inch thick. Put the meat in the marinade and chill it in a refrigerator for one hour. Cut a bunch of green onions into one and a half to two inch pieces. For the sauce, take...
Karen Solomon shows how to make bacon. You need 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of pork belly with no skin or bone. Rinse the belly with water and pat really dry. Mix ingredients for cure which includes 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon curing salt. Curing salt may be obtained at local butcher shop or online at Sausage Maker. Curing salt helps preserve the color of the bacon and ensures no spoilage. Mix ingredients un...
In this video from handmadetv we learn how to season and prepare chicken for grilling. You want to marinate your chicken before grilling. Marinades are made with a wide variety of seasonings. An Asian inspired one with ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce, are mixed together to make a marinade. You don't have to worry about exact measurements. Change them up as you like. The container or bag can be left at room temperature for 30 minutes or 24 hours in the fridg...
In this ExtremeBartending video, we learn how to make the perfect Mint Julep cocktail. Start with a Collins glass. Take four sprigs of mint (it's very important that it be four) and place them in the glass. Add a teaspoon of sugar, and about two tablespoons of water (it's a strong drink, so you might want to add more water). With a muddler, mix it up, and this will expand the taste of the mint. Now grab some crushed or shaved ice and put it in the glass. Add an ounce and a half of bourbon, ga...
As a beginning stop-motion animator, there's a lot of trial and error. What tools and materials do you use? How do you sculpt realistic clay figures? This video tutorial walks you through some of the essential materials, and demonstrates sculpting a torso out of Super Sculpey.
