No comments Shrinking and/or shriveling of experimental specimens depends on the ratio of moisture to fiber content. The higher the moisture content, the more shrunken and misshapen the specimen, as in the case of daffodils, which have a high moisture/low fiber content ratio. Roses, on the other hand, have a low moisture/high fiber content ratio and dehydrate almost perfectly inside the pyramids, with virtually no signs of shriveling or shrunkenness.
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| Ancient Egyptian Pyramids |
In carrying out a meaningful research experiment involving the dehydration process, you should employ the following control procedures: 1. Weigh the specimen before placing it in the pyramid; reweigh it every day thereafter, until total dehydration is accomplished, to determine the dehydration rate for the specific specimen. 2. Set up other containers, such as a cardboard box, a metal box, a tin can, etc., with and without covers. Each of these containers should have a volume equal to that of the pyramid. In each of these control containers place a specimen as nearly identical as possible to the specimen in the pyramid. These specimens should also be weighed each day, at the same time as the specimen inside the pyramid. After weighing, realign every specimen in its exact previous position. 3. Place still another identical specimen on a flat surface in the open air. This, too, should be weighed each day along with the other specimens. 4. Start a log and record in it the following information: composition, dimensions and age of specimens at the beginning of the experiment; composition, dimensions, shape and volume of each container. On each subsequent day, weigh all the specimens and visually check them for signs of discoloration, firmness and decay. Enter any pertinent information of this type in the log, dating it appropriately. It is important to keep in mind that most commercially available food stuffs, both prepared and raw, are treated with chemical preservatives which may affect the dehydration rate, thus invalidating your experiment. Therefore it is wisest, when experimenting with foodstuffs, to use only those which are preservative free or, in the case of fruit and vegetables, organically grown. Having compared the dehydration process which occurs within the pyramid to that which takes place in other containers, you might then wish to experiment with the differences in the dehydration process which occur at various height levels within the pyramid itself. For instance, you might obtain or build several identical pyramids and place inside them identical specimens, altering only the height from the base at which the specimen is placed, e.g., one specimen might be placed directly on the base, another at the % level, and still others at the %, %, % and y2 levels. The height of the level is measured up from the base, i.e., the y3 level of a 6-inch pyramid is 2 inches above the base. In various European countries, e.g., Yugoslavia, Italy and France, milk and yogurt are now packaged in pyramid-shaped cartons. Apparently, this type of packaging retards the spoilage process, enabling consumers to retain these products for a much longer period of time than they could when the same products were packaged in conventional containers. Although there is no data to support the claim of prolonged shelf life due to pyramidal packaging, we do know that, the pyramid shape acts as a preservative, nor can we think of any other rationale for the manufacturers’ having incurred the enormous expenses involved in changing the packaging of these products. Also, it hardly seems possible that mere coincidence was responsible for the decision of American manufacturers to package cream for restaurants in tiny pyramid-shaped packets. These packets are kept under coffee shop counters all day long without refrigeration and have an unusually long shelf life. It is very likely that the pyramid shape is responsible for the longevity of the cream, although it is also possible that the cream lasts simply because spoilage-re- tardent preservatives have been added to it. In this context, however, it does seem significant that in Czarist Russia the military troops allegedly received their meat rations in pyramid-shaped containers, designed precisely for the purpose of preservation. In recent times, more and more people have begun to use pyramid-shaped storage containers for dried grain and other food stuffs, claiming that products stored in this manner have a fresher taste than the same products stored in conventionally shaped containers. Try storing rice, dried beans, dried fruits, condiments or even candy, cookies, etc., in pyramid-shaped containers. You can expect a definite improvement in the taste of these items. In addition, you should find that these containers are bug-free, in the summer months, whereas small insects seem to proliferate in conventional containers during hot, humid weather. It has been suggested that coffee, when stored in a pyramid, has a less bitter taste. There are also claims that cigars, cigarettes and pipe tobacco will become milder if you keep them in a pyramid. Supposedly, pyramid storage mellows whiskey and ages beer. And there are even claims that strong perfumes, left inside pyramids, have been altered to subtler fragrances. In its information sheet, mailed to pyramid purchasers, one California firm suggests that the miniature pyramid can be used for making cottage cheese or pot cheese. They instruct you to place a glass of fresh, unpasteurized, whole milk in your pyramid, directly under the apex. They then tell you to align the pyramid along the north-south axis and leave the milk inside it for a period of three to five weeks. Periodic checks of the glass should show that the milk is beginning to curdle and a crust starting to form on top. Do not disturb this crust until the incubation period has ended. This will occur when the milk in the glass has taken on, to your satisfaction, the appearance of pot cheese or cottage cheese. You can then remove the glass from the pyramid, scrape off the crust, and eat your home-made cheese;In Chapter 7, we discussed E.S.P. laboratory’s experiments with using pyramids to incubate “thought forms.”
Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Research :