Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

Ethos Agriculture’s Journey from Vision to Impact in Coffee Sustainability: Part Two

In the second half of this article, we discover how the Coffee Barometer attempts to bridge the gap between discourse and action, envisioning a sustainable future for the coffee sector. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo courtesy of Rodrigo Flores via Unsplash As we embark on the second part of our conversation with Ethos […]


4 Cool Cafés to Try Out in Bologna

Bologna, the Italian city home to the world’s oldest university, is traditionally famous for its food and drink—and it has some stellar specialty cafés. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world and is the unofficial “capital“ of the porticos […]


Three Questions with Gabriela Parfait of The Good Sourcing

After eight years working for the French green coffee importing company Belco, Gabriela Parfait has launched a coffee-focused company called The Good Sourcing.  The new venture is intentionally small, although…


5 Amazing Coffee Drinks in Reno, Nev.

Here are some standout specialty drinks you can try in the Biggest Little City in the World. BY EDDIE P. GOMEZSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Photos by Eddie P. Gomez Reno, Nev., has more cafés per capita than just about any other place in North America. And because it is a snowier-than-usual winter in northwestern Nevada […]

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

5 Amazing Coffee Drinks in Reno, Nev.

Here are some standout specialty drinks you can try in the Biggest Little City in the World. BY EDDIE P. GOMEZSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Photos by Eddie P. Gomez Reno, Nev., has more cafés per capita than just about any other place in North America. And because it is a snowier-than-usual winter in northwestern Nevada […]


Know Your Sweeteners: Honey: Part One

Not all sweeteners are made equal! In this series, we’ll take a closer look at different types of sweeteners and syrups—starting with honey. BY EMILY JOY MENESESBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo by Arwin Neil Baichoo via Unsplash Though you can’t go wrong with simple syrup or the tried-and-true vanilla, there are many options when it […]


New AFCA Director Gilbert Gatali on the 20th African Fine Coffees Conference

As the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) prepares for the 20th iteration of its flagship event, the African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition, the group is operating under new executive…


In Tbilisi, Parsek1 Merges Comic Books with Specialty Coffee

We take a look at how this innovative café has changed the face of comics and coffee in the capital of Georgia. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Parsek1 When it comes to coffee and comic books, Japan is a longtime leader in the field. Manga cafés have been around for decades, combining […]

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

How to roast anaerobically fermented coffee

Among the many different kinds of experimental processing methods, anaerobic fermentation is perhaps the most popular and intriguing. Interest in this processing technique is only growing, with more and more anaerobic fermented coffee available in cafés and roasteries around the world. Moreover, of all the advanced processing methods, this particular technique has one of the […]


Coffee News Recap, 20 Jan: Last chance to apply for PRF El Salvador Mayorga Scholarship and volunteer positions, World of Coffee Dubai attracts more than 12,000 visitors & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s stories. Mon, 16 Jan World of Coffee Dubai 2023 attracts more than 12,000 visitors from 48 countries. The event, which was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, also included over 180 exhibitors and 36 […]


Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

We check in with the Cup of Excellence executive director to learn his current coffee-brewing habits. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Emre via Unsplash Brewing coffee is, for many coffee professionals, more than just a job.   They usually brew coffee every day, both for themselves and their customers. Perhaps they do it […]


Design Details: A Petit Le Café Coffee in Midtown Manhattan

Welcome to Design Details, an ongoing editorial feature in Daily Coffee News focused on individual examples of coffee shop architecture, interior design, packaging design or branding. If you are a coffee…

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

 

Looking at the science of Frankenstein and the rise of this story in pop culture

By Angela Garrity, Guest blogger

The Incredible Jeff is reviving the classic outcry, “It’s alive!” Not really, but he does explore The Science of Frankenstein in this episode of Fueled by Death Cast. This is Part 1 of a three-part Spooky Science series all in time for Halloween and we are “amped” for this one.

A black and white screenshot from the 1931 film "Frankenstein" depicting the scene before the monster becomes alive

In 1818, Mary Shelley penned the timeless novel “Frankenstein.” Pop culture made a grotesque gaffe out of the book’s title, which led to much miscalculation about the creature referenced inside its pages. This monstrosity has led many believe the creature’s name is “Frankenstein,” instead of the name of the good doctor Victor Frankenstein, for whom the novel is named after. 

Turning back a few hundred years, there are two scientific advancements that might have “had a hand” in influencing Shelley’s work are the discovery of resuscitation and electrophysiology. Shelley and friends would meet and discuss these then state of the art discoveries of science and philosophy and were surely “springing to life” somewhere deep in the young author’s mind when the concept of “Frankenstein” was being created.

Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a writer, and philosopher and advocate for equal education rights for men and women. Wollstonecraft also suffered with depression and made a suicide attempt by throwing herself off a London bridge into the Thames River in 1795.

During this time in history, science and medicine had advanced. It was known that if a drowning victim was pulled from the water quickly and resuscitation techniques were performed on them, sometimes the victim’s life could be saved. This practice appeared to “bring the dead back to life” and evolved further into modern day Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

Science was also aware of electricity during this time, but the actual act of electrophysiology was somewhat shocking to people.

A black and white sketch of Galvani's experiment on frog legs in the 1780siPhoto source: Corrosion Doctors

In 1781, Italian physicist Luigi Galvani began experimenting with electricity on animals. While dissecting a frog next to a static electricity machine, the frog’s leg jumped. Galvani believed that the charge resided within the frog itself and dubbed his discovery “animal electricity,” which was widely accepted for many years.

Italian physicist Alessandro Volta challenged Galvani’s theory of “animal electricity.” Instead, Volta stated that the frog was merely a conductor and that the result could be achieved with two different metals and chemicals. In 1789, Volta created the “voltaic pile,” which is credited as the first electric battery. 

Giovanni Aldini, nephew to Galvani and also Italian physicist, believed in the works of both Galvani and Volta. He demonstrated the methods of both pioneers when he combined their theories and performed an experiment in 1803 on dead London prisoner, George Foster. Foster’s mouth and ears were inserted with metal rods attached to the voltaic pile. The lifeless face of Foster seemed to move on its own with a little help from the procedure theorized by Aldini.

Could life suddenly spring up today in the name of science? Today’s technology is moving at light speed and new discoveries are made every day. Transplants, lab grown body parts, mechanical substitutions, bionics, and clones are all modern-day discoveries that aren’t so horrific when done in the name of science, medicine and technology.

Watch the full science segment below, and tune into Fueled by Death Show every Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Facebook Live to learn more about different scientific topics.  

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Spooky Science: The Science of Frankenstein

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