Dear Lifehacker, I've had the same pots and pans for years. Some of it's starting to look a little funky. Should I care about that? Is there a good indicator of when a pan is past its prime?
Sincerely, Possibly Poisoning
Dear PP, We're no strangers to an oddly stained pot or a pan that's seen better days. While it might seem self-explanatory to decide when to replace your cookware, it's not always as cut and dry as it sounds. In reality, most cookware is pretty easy to clean up like new if you know how to do it.
Try to Clean or Fix Up Your Cookware First
More often than not, your cookware looks gross because you're not cleaning it properly. Thankfully, a number of the most common reasons your pots and pans look destroyed are easy to fix, and that means you don't need to replace them.
In most cases, a good long soaking with water is enough to remove most black residue left over from cooking. For cleaning everything else, it depends on the material of the pot or pan.
Stainless Steel Cookware: For stainless steel cookware, cleaning is a pretty straight forward process, and most damages don't actually affect the cooking quality. To remove stains on the inside of the pot, a little warm vinegar should do the trick. If the stains are on the bottom of the pan, use oven cleaner and follow the directions on the bottle. As for burn stains on the inside of the pan, a solution with vinegar, baking soda, and water along with a little heat will clean it right up. You can even remove rust by scrubbing it off.
Non-Stick Cookware: Non-stick cookware is particularly difficult to rescue from negligence because once the non-stick coating starts stripping away you can't do much to fix it. That said, Good Housekeeping recommends cleaning pans with a 1/2 cup of white vinegar and water solution to get rid of stuck-on cooking residue. A little vinegar on the outside of the cookware should also help remove any stains as well.
Cast Iron Cookware: Cast Iron cookware is incredibly resilient, but you have to treat it properly. If you don't, cleaning up your negligence is a little messy, but still possible. A salt scrub can get out stuck-on mess, vinegar is great for removing rust, and if that doesn't work, a potato might be all you need to remove the rust.
Aluminum Cookware: Removing stains from aluminum cookware is a little trickier. TLC recommends using a tablespoon of cream of tartar, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a quart of water. As for polishing up scratches on the outside, a little baking soda and a scouring pad should work.
The point is that you can rescue most cookware from even the worst kind of negligence. That said, if you've washed it, and it still looks like it's rusting, it's broken in half, or plastic chunks are just coming off everywhere, it's time to replace it.
When Pots and Pans Absolutely Need Replacement
Depending on how you use your pots and pans, they might end up scratched, stained, rusted and otherwise destroyed beyond repair. If the above tips don't work, then it's likely time for replacement.
I called a couple different cookware manufacturers (Kitchen-Aid and All Clad) to get their recommendation. The general rule of thumb they offered is pretty simple: if any material is coming off the pan and ending up in your food, replace your cookware.
For example, if non-stick pans are flaking off because of scratches, they should be replaced. If nothing else, it's just kind of gross to eat a part of your pan. As The Kitchn points out, when the coating begins to peel off it also makes the pan less non-stick.
As for stainless steel, the representative from KitchenAid recommended that it only needs replacement if a material like copper is showing through after you've scratched or dinged the cookware. So, if the pan is scratched to the point the material beneath the steel is showing, it's probably in your best interest to replace it.
The same basic idea goes for pots with enameling. If the enameling is chipping off a pot really badly it might need replacement. However treating it with the above tips should be fine provided it's not rusted out.
It's also worth noting that both KitchenAid and All-Clad asked me when I purchased the cookware, and if I still had my warranty information. Even if you didn't treat your cookware right, it might still be worth a call to see if they'll replace them.
If you do decide to replace your cookware, don't forget that when you're out shopping it's pretty easy to keep it on a budget if you stick to the essentials. Photo by Dinner Series.
Good luck, Lifehacker
Have a question or suggestion for Ask Lifehacker? Send it to tips+asklh@lifehacker.com.
Title photo remixed from David E. Powers (Shutterstock), and Ljupco Smokovski (Shutterstock).
The man suspected of bombing the U.S. embassy in Turkey has been described as a well-known militant from a far-left group. Meanwhile, clashes outside the presidential palace in Egypt indicate President Morsi may be losing control. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News
The Turkish far-left group DHKP-C claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, according to a statement on a website linked to the group, news agencies reported.
The statement posted Saturday on "The People's Cry" website said Ecevit Sanli carried out "an act of self-sacrifice on Feb. 1, 2013, by entering the Ankara embassy of the United States, murderer of the peoples of the world," according to Reuters and The Associated Press.
The DHKP-C's statement also called Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan a U.S. "puppet," according to Reuters.
"Murderer America! You will not run away from people's rage," the statement read, warning Erdogan that he was also a target.
A picture the website claimed was of the bomber was posted with the statement. A government terror expert confirmed the authenticity of the website, the AP reported.
The Ankara governor's office said DNA tests showed Sanli had indeed been the attacker. Authorities said Sanli had fled Turkey 10 years ago and was wanted by the police, according to Reuters.
Sanli had previously been jailed in 1997 for attacks on a police station and a military staff college in Istanbul, but Reuters said his sentence was postponed because he became sick during a hunger strike. He was never imprisoned again.
After he was sentenced to life in prison in 2002, Sanli fled Turkey, according to Reuters. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said he was able to return to the country using false documents.
The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C, is a far-left group designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Turkey and the European Union. Leftist groups such as the DHKP-C strongly oppose the United States' influence over Turkey.
Also on Saturday, Turkish state media said officials detained three people in Istanbul and Ankara in connection with the attack, Reuters reported.
A suicide bomber blew himself up at an entrance to the U.S. Embassy compound in Ankara on Friday. The bomber and a Turkish guard were killed in the attack, which the U.S. described as "an act of terror."
/
The U.S. flag flies at half-staff a day after a suicide bomber struck the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.
The bomber, who was wearing a suicide vest, made it to the first X-ray machine in a screening area leading to the visa section, police sources said, and then detonated the device.
The Turkish security guard standing nearby was killed, but two guards on the other side of the checkpoint, behind bulletproof glass, survived. A Turkish journalist on her way to visit the ambassador was critically wounded.
On Sept. 11 last year, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, prompting concern about security for diplomats.
SITE Intelligence Group via AFP - Getty Images
This image released by the SITE Intelligence Group on Feb. 2, shows a man identified as Ecevit Sanli on the website of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, a Turkey-based radical Marxist-Leninist group, that claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara on Feb. 1.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Friday that after Benghazi, every U.S. post in the world reviewed its security. She added that the embassy in Ankara is one of the posts due for a complete compound overhaul. The building housing the embassy was built in the 1950s and needs a full upgrade, Nuland said.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related:
US Embassy compound in Turkey hit by 'terrorist' attack
NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Bill Parcells was a winner everywhere he coached. Time and time again, he took over struggling franchises and showed them what it takes to be a success, including a pair of Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants.
Parcells pulled off another victory Saturday ? election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Getting in on his fourth try, Parcells led an induction class that also included mouthy defensive lineman Warren Sapp, prolific receiver Cris Carter and a pair of stalwarts from the trenches, offensive linemen Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen.
The class of 2013 also included a pair of senior selections, Curley Culp and Dave Robinson. The announcement was made in New Orleans, site of Sunday's Super Bowl.
Almost as noteworthy were the finalists who didn't get in, including running back Jerome Bettis and owners Art Modell and Edward DeBartolo Jr. Players and coaches from the Baltimore Ravens, who will face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, spent all week lobbying for Modell, their former owner who died last year, to claim a place in the hall.
It didn't work out, no doubt pleasing fans in Cleveland who remain bitter about Modell moving the original Browns to Baltimore.
Parcells had to wait a while, earning a bust in Canton on his fourth try. He thought he might get in the previous year in tandem with one of his former players, Curtis Martin.
"It was a little less stressful than last year," Parcells said in a telephone interview from Florida. "I was kind of hoping we could do it together, but as fate would have it, it didn't work out."
Giants president and CEO John Mara said Parcells' selection for the hall was "long overdue," but his candidacy stirred plenty of debate ? a one-hour discussion among the selection committee members, by far the longest amount of time dedicated to any finalist.
"He's one of the best coaches in NFL history," Mara said. "He turned our franchise around. We went through a long period in the 1960's and 70's when we were a laughingstock. When Bill took over in 1983, he survived a very difficult first year, but then turned us into a perennial playoff contender and won two Super Bowls for us. He coached three other teams and everywhere he went, he had great success."
No one was more emotional than Carter, who took six years to get in despite putting up some of the best receiving numbers in NFL history. He broke down in tears but quickly pointed out "it's not because I'm sad."
"This is the happiest day of my life," he said. "When people said, 'Aw, you know, it really doesn't matter, you're a Hall of Famer in my eyes,' I said, 'It's more important that I'm a Hall of Famer in the Hall's eyes.' And I really, really wanted this. "
Sapp said his stomach was churning all day.
He doesn't have to fret anymore. Next stop, Canton.
"My feet haven't touched the ground in about 30 minutes," Sapp said. "This is unbelievable."
In addition to Bettis, four other players failed to get in on the final vote: Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams. Earlier in the day, the selection committee eliminated DeBartolo and Modell, as well as ex-players Tim Brown, Kevin Greene and Will Shields.
Parcells reversed the fortunes of four teams, also coaching the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys, during 19 years as a head coach. He finished with a record of 172-130-1, most notably leading the Giants to Super Bowl titles in 1987 and 1991. He led the Patriots to the Super Bowl after the 1996 season.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft saluted Parcells' election.
"It is well deserved," he said in a statement released by the team. "As a Patriots fan, I will always appreciate the credibility he brought to our franchise as a two-time Super Bowl champion. We had never had a head coach with those credentials. I am very happy for Bill and look forward to his enshrinement ceremonies."
Jets owner Woody Johnson echoed Kraft.
"Bill Parcells infused new life into this franchise on many levels," he said. "From acquiring players like Curtis Martin to bringing back a winning culture, we will always be grateful to Bill for his contributions to the New York Jets."
Sapp got in on his first year of eligibility after playing 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. He amassed 96? career sacks despite playing on the interior of the defensive line, including double-digit sack totals in four seasons. He was the 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year after helping Tampa Bay claim its first division title in 18 years.
Carter played 16 seasons, becoming only the second player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions in a career. He caught at least 70 passes in 10 seasons, and totaled 130 touchdown receptions from 13 passers.
Allen played 203 games over 14 seasons, spending the bulk of his career with the Cowboys. He played every position on the offensive line except center and was a first-team All-Pro seven straight seasons.
Ogden played a dozen seasons with the Ravens, a lineman who led the way for Jamal Lewis to become just the fifth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Ogden was a six-time All-Pro and was voted to 11 Pro Bowls.
Like Sapp, Allen and Ogden were first-year selections.
Ogden shared the moment with his family. He called his mother "first thing," and also told his 7-year-old son.
"He's real proud of his dad," Ogden said.
He watched nervously as the announcement was made on the Class of 2013.
"It's like going to the hospital with your wife to have a baby. You can't do anything about it," Ogden said. "You hear everybody say you're a first ballot for sure, but you never really know. A lot of good well deserving guys didn't get in on the first ballot."
"When I got drafted (by Dallas), they'd just won a Super Bowl," Allen said. "When they threw me in, I just didn't want to be the one to mess it up."
His philosophy never changed over his long career: make the guy across from him "quit ... tap out." He joins three other players from that great Cowboys offense of the 1990s in the hall, following Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.
"All those guys ? Troy and Mike, Emmitt ? they were kind of like big brothers," Allen said. "I looked up to them. They came to work every day and showed me how to do it. They all wanted to be the best."
Culp was a defensive stalwart for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s and '70s, and also played for the Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions. He started at tackle in Kansas City's Super Bowl win over Vikings in 1970 and was selected to six Pro Bowls.
"Curley was a dominating force on the defensive line for the Super Bowl IV championship team and one of many great players that helped build the tradition and foundation of the Kansas City Chiefs," the team's chairman and CEO, Clark Hunt, said in a statement. "We look forward to seeing him take his rightful place in Canton."
Robinson played on the powerhouse Green Bay teams of the 1960s, starting at outside linebacker on coach Vince Lombardi's two Super Bowl champions. He closed his 12-year career with the Washington Redskins.
"He was such a vital part of those great defenses in the 1960s," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy. "Dave's contributions to the Packers have not been limited to the field, as he has also been a great ambassador for the organization over the years. We are thrilled that he received this honor."
Robinson was the 22nd member of the Packers to be election to the Hall of Fame.
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/super-bowl-watch and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Four nudists protesting in the buff outside San Francisco's City Hall were handcuffed and hauled off by police on Friday after they ignored instructions to cover up as a public nudity ban took effect in the famously tolerant city.
San Francisco city leaders approved a ban on baring it all in streets, public plazas and the transit system in December to curtail public nudity, which some residents and business owners complained had gotten out of control.
The efforts to clamp down have caused a flap in the city, where men in particular are known to parade naked through the streets of the predominantly gay Castro District, but the nudists this week lost a court challenge to block the law.
A handful of protesters, some of them clothed, turned up to protest the law as it went into effect on Friday on a warm Northern California winter day, including Gypsy Taub, 43, who stripped down to yellow, patent-leather boots.
"War is Obscene, Not My Body," she wrote in purple marker on her bare chest and stomach.
Nudist activist George Davis, 66, used the occasion to announce that he would run next year against City Supervisor Scott Wiener, who wrote the controversial ordinance forbidding people from getting naked below the waist in public.
"I can guarantee you nudists are a tourist draw and are good for business," Davis said during his first stump speech for Wiener's seat, wearing nothing but sandals and a fanny pack.
Some of Wiener's Castro District constituents complained that nudists, particularly Davis and a group of men known as the Naked Guys, were hurting business and causing a public nuisance in his predominately gay neighborhood.
A dozen police officers warned the group they had 15 minutes to dress, and handcuffed three naked men and a woman and drove them to a police station in a van when they refused. They were later released after receiving citations.
Violators of the new ban can be fined up to $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second. A third violation carries a possible $500 fine and a year in jail.
A federal judge earlier in the week threw out a lawsuit trying to block the ban by nudists who argued public nakedness was akin to political expression.
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen concluded that "nudity in and of itself is not inherently expressive," but left open the door for the group to file another suit following imposition of the ban.
Bonnie Preston, 50, who works for the federal government, watched the protest with coworkers on her lunch hour. "I just needed to see what was happening here," she said. "It's very unusual, but I don't think it's worth all the police and the City Hall attention."
Contact: Ellen R. Weiss eweiss@biophysics.org 240-290-5606 American Institute of Physics
Philadelphia, Pa. Autism spectrum disorders affect nearly 1 in 88 children, with symptoms ranging from mild personality traits to severe intellectual disability and seizures. Understanding the altered genetic pathways is critical for diagnosis and treatment. New work to examine which genes are responsible for autism disorders will be presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS), held Feb. 2-6, 2013, in Philadelphia, Pa.
"Autism is the most inheritable of neurodevelopmental disorders," explains Rajini Rao of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., "but identifying the underlying genes is difficult since no single gene contributes more than a tiny fraction of autism cases." Rather, she continues, "mutations in many different genes variably affect a few common pathways."
A team of scientists at Johns Hopkins and Tel Aviv University in Israel looked at genetic variations in DNA sequence in the ion transporter NHE9 and found that autism-associated variants in NHE9 result in a profound loss of transporter function. "Altering levels of this transporter at the synapse may modulate critical proteins on the cell surface that bring in nutrients or neurotransmitters such as glutamate," says Rao. "Elevated glutamate levels are known to trigger seizures, possibly explaining why autistic patients with mutations in these ion transporters also have seizures."
A unique aspect of the team's approach was that they exploited decades of basic research done in bacteria and yeast to study a complex human neurological disorder. First, the group at Tel Aviv University, led by Nir Ben-Tal, built structural models of NHE9 using a bacterial relative as a template, allowing the Rao laboratory at Johns Hopkins to use the simple baker's yeast for screening the mutations. In the future, as genomic information becomes readily available for everyone, such easy, inexpensive, and rapid screening methods will be essential to evaluate rare genetic variants in autism and other disorders.
Rao and her team are optimistic about the potential benefits of their latest findings. "Although the research is still at an early stage, drugs that target the cellular pathways regulated by NHE9 could compensate for its loss of function and lead to potential therapy in the future," Rao says. "These findings add a new candidate for genetic screening of at-risk patients that may lead to better diagnosis or treatment of autism."
###
Presentation #118-Plat, "Functional evaluation of autism associated mutations in SLC9A9 (NHE9)," will take place at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 113C. ABSTRACT: http://tinyurl.com/apjmm7a
This news release was prepared for the Biophysical Society (BPS) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
ABOUT THE 2013 ANNUAL MEETING
Each year, the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting brings together over 6,000 research scientists in the multidisciplinary fields representing biophysics. With more than 3,900 poster presentations, over 200 exhibits, and more than 20 symposia, the Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of biophysicists in the world. Despite its size, the meeting retains its small-meeting flavor through its subgroup meetings, platform sessions, social activities, and committee programs.
The 57th Annual Meeting will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107). For maps and directions, please visit: http://www.paconvention.com/explore-philadelphia/directions-and-parking.
QUICK LINKS
Meeting Home Page:
http://www.biophysics.org/2013meeting/Main/tabid/3523/Default.aspx
Housing and Travel Information:
http://www.biophysics.org/2013meeting/AccommodationsTravel/HotelInformation/tabid/3621/Default.aspx
Program Abstracts and Itinerary Planner:
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/start.aspx?mkey=%7B763246BB-EBE4-430F-9545-81BC84D0C68C%7D
PRESS REGISTRATION
The Biophysical Society invites credentialed journalists, freelance reporters working on assignment, and public information officers to attend its Annual Meeting free of charge. For more information on registering as a member of the press, contact BPS Director of Public Affairs and Communications Ellen Weiss at eweiss@biophysics.org or 240-290-5606, or visit
http://www.biophysics.org/2013meeting/Registration/Press/tabid/3619/Default.aspx. Press registration will also be available onsite at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the Biophysical Society's meeting office, Room 304VIP.
ABOUT BPS
The Biophysical Society (BPS), founded in 1958, is a professional scientific society established to encourage development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its annual meeting, monthly journal, and committee and outreach activities. Its 9000 members are located throughout the U.S. and the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry. For more information on the Society or the 2013 Annual Meeting, visit www.biophysics.org.
For more information, please contact:
Ellen R. Weiss
Director of Public Affairs and Communications
eweiss@biophysics.org
240-290-5606
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Ellen R. Weiss eweiss@biophysics.org 240-290-5606 American Institute of Physics
Philadelphia, Pa. Autism spectrum disorders affect nearly 1 in 88 children, with symptoms ranging from mild personality traits to severe intellectual disability and seizures. Understanding the altered genetic pathways is critical for diagnosis and treatment. New work to examine which genes are responsible for autism disorders will be presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS), held Feb. 2-6, 2013, in Philadelphia, Pa.
"Autism is the most inheritable of neurodevelopmental disorders," explains Rajini Rao of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., "but identifying the underlying genes is difficult since no single gene contributes more than a tiny fraction of autism cases." Rather, she continues, "mutations in many different genes variably affect a few common pathways."
A team of scientists at Johns Hopkins and Tel Aviv University in Israel looked at genetic variations in DNA sequence in the ion transporter NHE9 and found that autism-associated variants in NHE9 result in a profound loss of transporter function. "Altering levels of this transporter at the synapse may modulate critical proteins on the cell surface that bring in nutrients or neurotransmitters such as glutamate," says Rao. "Elevated glutamate levels are known to trigger seizures, possibly explaining why autistic patients with mutations in these ion transporters also have seizures."
A unique aspect of the team's approach was that they exploited decades of basic research done in bacteria and yeast to study a complex human neurological disorder. First, the group at Tel Aviv University, led by Nir Ben-Tal, built structural models of NHE9 using a bacterial relative as a template, allowing the Rao laboratory at Johns Hopkins to use the simple baker's yeast for screening the mutations. In the future, as genomic information becomes readily available for everyone, such easy, inexpensive, and rapid screening methods will be essential to evaluate rare genetic variants in autism and other disorders.
Rao and her team are optimistic about the potential benefits of their latest findings. "Although the research is still at an early stage, drugs that target the cellular pathways regulated by NHE9 could compensate for its loss of function and lead to potential therapy in the future," Rao says. "These findings add a new candidate for genetic screening of at-risk patients that may lead to better diagnosis or treatment of autism."
###
Presentation #118-Plat, "Functional evaluation of autism associated mutations in SLC9A9 (NHE9)," will take place at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 113C. ABSTRACT: http://tinyurl.com/apjmm7a
This news release was prepared for the Biophysical Society (BPS) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
ABOUT THE 2013 ANNUAL MEETING
Each year, the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting brings together over 6,000 research scientists in the multidisciplinary fields representing biophysics. With more than 3,900 poster presentations, over 200 exhibits, and more than 20 symposia, the Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of biophysicists in the world. Despite its size, the meeting retains its small-meeting flavor through its subgroup meetings, platform sessions, social activities, and committee programs.
The 57th Annual Meeting will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107). For maps and directions, please visit: http://www.paconvention.com/explore-philadelphia/directions-and-parking.
QUICK LINKS
Meeting Home Page:
http://www.biophysics.org/2013meeting/Main/tabid/3523/Default.aspx
Housing and Travel Information:
http://www.biophysics.org/2013meeting/AccommodationsTravel/HotelInformation/tabid/3621/Default.aspx
Program Abstracts and Itinerary Planner:
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/start.aspx?mkey=%7B763246BB-EBE4-430F-9545-81BC84D0C68C%7D
PRESS REGISTRATION
The Biophysical Society invites credentialed journalists, freelance reporters working on assignment, and public information officers to attend its Annual Meeting free of charge. For more information on registering as a member of the press, contact BPS Director of Public Affairs and Communications Ellen Weiss at eweiss@biophysics.org or 240-290-5606, or visit
http://www.biophysics.org/2013meeting/Registration/Press/tabid/3619/Default.aspx. Press registration will also be available onsite at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the Biophysical Society's meeting office, Room 304VIP.
ABOUT BPS
The Biophysical Society (BPS), founded in 1958, is a professional scientific society established to encourage development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its annual meeting, monthly journal, and committee and outreach activities. Its 9000 members are located throughout the U.S. and the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry. For more information on the Society or the 2013 Annual Meeting, visit www.biophysics.org.
For more information, please contact:
Ellen R. Weiss
Director of Public Affairs and Communications
eweiss@biophysics.org
240-290-5606
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ??A Joint Base Richardson-Elmendorf pilot in Anchorage, Alaska, carried out a very special mission on Thursday, after hearing about a unique request from a 9-year-old boy who had lost his father.?
Army Staff Sgt. Justin Gallegos was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. His son MacAidan, who goes by "Mac,"was 5 years old at the time. Every year on Jan. 24, his father's birthday, MacAidan and his mother celebrate by doing something special like baking cupcakes or throwing a party. But this year, MacAidan, now 9 years old, decided to celebrate differently. He recently wrote a letter to his father that included 10 very important questions.
"Dear Dad," it read. "I have some questions. What is it like in a tank? What is like to be a scout? How old are you now? How old were you when you died? What is your favorite food? What is your favorite animal? What is your favorite hobby? What is your favorite activity? What is it like in heaven? Have you seen what I have accomplished? From, your son."
But Mac wasn't finished. He said that he wanted to try and get the letter as close to heaven as he could. His mother, Amanda Marr, put a post on her Facebook page describing Mac's request, and it caught the attention of Helping American Veterans Experience Alaska, or HAVE Alaska, an organization that decided to help make Mac's wish happen.?
On Thursday, MacAiden met reserve F-22 pilot Lt. Col. Brian Baldwin. He said he handed over his note, hand-written on red construction?paper. Red was his father's favorite color.
"I said, 'I hope he gets as high as he possibly can,'" Mac said
The flight happened on Jan. 24 ??his father's birthday.?
"I wanted to write a letter because I wanted to know more about my dad and to show that I didn't forget him and to show that I also love him," Mac said.
Mac plans to write a letter to his father every year and says he is still coming up with delivery ideas for next January.
To read the original story from KTUU.com, click here.
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Dear Lifehacker,
More often than not, your cookware looks gross because you're not cleaning it properly. Thankfully, a number of the most common reasons your pots and pans look destroyed are easy to fix, and that means you don't need to replace them.
Depending on how you use your pots and pans, they might end up scratched, stained, rusted and otherwise destroyed beyond repair. If the above tips don't work, then it's likely time for replacement.
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Public release date: 1-Feb-2013
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