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It seems like everyone's been invited to the party lately except for poor old natural gas. Gold, silver, and copper are just months removed from all-time highs, oil is trading very near $100 per barrel again, and even the food-based commodities like coffee, corn, and wheat have had monstrous runs over the past few years. As for natural gas , it's down more than 50% in the past two years.

What's behind the move? Abnormally warm weather across much of the U.S. this winter has crushed demand for the heating agent and driven prices to decade lows. With prices having fallen almost exponentially lower since 2012 began, I think the following question needs to be posed: "Is it time to buy natural gas?" I think the answer is yes, and I can give you a few reasons why and a few good ways to play the frustrating commodity.

Reasons to buy
First, the ratio between the price of oil and the price of natural gas has never been higher . With oil at $98.39 per barrel and natural gas at $2.33 per million BTU, the gap between the two is now at a staggering 41. Historically, the price ratio has vacillated between five and 15 with a widening gap only seen in recent years. The discovery of vast natural gas reserves in the U.S. has contributed to its price decline, but it in no way makes up for the fact that natural gas is still a finite resource. I don't see this pricing inefficiency lasting.

Source: Motley Fool

Fun food science experiments are a staple of childhood. We all remember the “vinegar and baking soda volcano”, but there are others that one can do with simple kitchen products.

The Bouncy Egg

Take a hard-boiled egg, put it in a jar and fill the jar completely with vinegar . Let it sit for a week. After the first day, the egg should start “bubbling.” At the end of the week, the egg should be rubbery and able to be bounced on the floor.

The vinegar eats away at the eggshell, taking the shell’s calcium and releasing carbon dioxide. All you have left is the egg’s membrane, with the protein and yolk inside. Because there is more water in the vinegar than in the egg ( vinegar is 95% water and 5% acid), the water swells up the egg until the percentage of water inside and outside is balanced....

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by Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Newswise — CHICAGO – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Latin American and Caribbean Association of Food Science and Technology (ALACCTA) are hosting the inaugural Food Science & Innovation Conference at the Hilton Guadalajara in Mexico, February 27-29, 2012. The conference will bring together the region’s food professionals to meet and exchange perspectives on leading practices, issues and hot topics impacting the global food industry.

“This conference will convene experts from the food science and technology profession to exchange ideas on ongoing global impacts on the food industry and the food supply system,” said IFT President Roger Clemens, DrPH. “It will foster critical discussions that will identify new trends and emerging challenges that will ultimately serve as catalysts to generate different and important international perspectives and foster new ideas within the food industry.”

The opening session will feature Elsa Murano, PhD., Professor and President Emerita of Texas A&M University and former Undersecretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2001 to 2004. In her presentation, she will explore how science plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and sufficiency of the food supply. Dr. Murano also will offer suggestions on how to prepare the next generation of food scientists to be positive contributors in resolving global food issues.

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