Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Filmjölk


Filmjölk (also known as fil or the older word surmjölk) is a Swedish mesophilic fermented milk product that is made by fermenting cow's milk with a variety of bacteria from the species Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The bacteria metabolize lactose, the sugar naturally found in milk, into lactic acid. The acid gives filmjölk a sour taste and causes proteins in the milk, mainly casein, to coagulate, thus thickening the final product. The bacteria also produce a limited amount of diacetyl, which gives filmjölk its characteristic taste. Filmjölk is similar to cultured buttermilk, kefir, or yoghurt in consistency, but fermented by different bacteria and thus has a slightly different taste. Compared with yoghurt, filmjölk tastes less sour. In Sweden, it is normally sold in 1-liter packages with live bacteria. The bacteria helps maintain the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria in the intestines.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Diplodocus


Diplodocus is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur whose fossils were first discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878, is a Neo-Latin term derived from Greek διπλόος (diploos) "double" and δοκός (dokos) "beam", in reference to its double-beamed chevron bones located in the underside of the tail. These bones were initially believed to be unique to Diplodocus; however, they have since then been discovered in other members of the diplodocid family and in non-diplodocid sauropods such as Mamenchisaurus.

Monday, June 13, 2011

rhizome


In botany, a rhizome (from Greek:"root-stalk") is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes may also be referred to as creeping rootstalks, or rootstocks.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

register

A register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting.

For example, an English speaker may adhere more closely to prescribed grammar, pronounce words ending in -ing with a velar nasal instead of an alveolar nasal (e.g. "walking", not "walkin'"), choose more formal words (e.g. train vs. choo-choo, sodium chloride vs. salt, child vs. kid, etc.), and refrain from using the word ain't when speaking in a formal setting, but the same person could violate all of these prescriptions in an informal setting.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Saxomat

Saxomat was a type of automatic clutch. The Hydrak, used in some Mercedes-Benz vehicles between 1957 and 1961, was a similar system with a hydrostatic torque converter in place of the Saxomat's centrifugal clutch. The system also reappeared in the 1990s as Sensonic.

Cars with a Saxomat clutch did not have a clutch pedal. The Saxomat consisted of two independent systems, the centrifugal clutch, and the servo clutch. The centrifugal clutch was engaged above certain engine rpms by centrifugal force, acting on spinning weights inside the clutch, similar to a centrifugal governor.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Kevlar


Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires. Typically it is spun into ropes or fabric sheets that can be used as such or as an ingredient in composite material components.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Bilander


A Bilander, also spelled billander or be'landre, was a small European merchant ship with two masts, used in the Netherlands for coast and canal traffic and occasionally seen in the North Sea but more frequently to be seen in the Mediterranean Sea. The mainmast was lateen-rigged with a trapezoidal mainsail, but the foremast carried the conventional square course and square topsail. Displacement was typically under 100 tons. The bilander was short-lived, being replaced by more efficient designs, and few examples exist today.

synanthrope

 A synanthrope (from ancient Greek σύν sýn "together, with" and ἄνθρωπος ánthrōpos "man") is an organism that evolve...