Rediscovering of Rare Blue Bee in Florida in 2020 – Science 3

Bee swarm, just for illustration.

The blue bee was first noticed in Florida in 2011, then scientists identified its with scientific name as Osmia calaminthae.

However, the blue bee was disappeared in 2016. Many scientists believed that Osmia calaminthae was extincted.

Surprisingly, the blue bee was rediscovered in the same areas where its was gone.

This bee consumes pollen and nectar from a violet flower, well known as Ashe’s calamint or Ashe's savory.

The flower is a wild flower in Florida with a scientific name Calamintha ashei. Other species of Calamintha are:

- Calamintha georgiana, Georgia calamint

- Calamintha dentata, the toothed savory.

Unfortunately, Ashe’s calamint flower is a Florida endemic, and listed as threatened species of the state.

Flowers blooming, just for illustration

Yes, Osmia calaminthae is very extreme rare species, but genus Osmia has at least 350 different species which can be found worldwide.

Many of these 350 species are common species, to be critical role in natural pollination.

10 examples of species from genus Osmia are following:

- Osmia bicornis

- Osmia caerulescens

- Osmia cornifrons

- Osmia cornuta

- Osmia atriventris

- Osmia avosetta

- Osmia latreillei

- Osmia inermis

- Osmia lignaria

- Osmia ribifloris

Sources: Several readings include Smithsonian Magazine (2020) and CNN (2020).

Russian Covid 19 Vaccine Advantages – Science 2

Comparison of 4 different vaccines

The third clinical trials of Russian Covid 19 vaccine, Sputnik V has been published in the England medical journal, the Lancet (2021).

Sputnik effective rate is 92%, almost similar to American vaccines (Moderna and Biontech-Pfizer) which is 95%.

The advantages of Russian vaccine compared to American vaccines are following (in term of):

- price (about US$10 only)

- storage (able to be stored in regular fridge temperature)

Compared to UK’s vaccine, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V is clearly better in respect to effective rate.

If you read mainstream medias recently that South Africa government stop to conduct trials of AstraZeneca vaccine.

It is because the vaccine is not effective to control new strain from South Africa, called as 20H/ 501Y. V2 or B.1. 351.

Please read:

- Can Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine Contains New Variants? - Virus 37.

However, the developer of Sputnik V believes that the vaccine works against Covid 19 new strains.

Whatever, people have plenty of choices, and hope, the vaccines are available in the market soon.

Making Perfume in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory - Science 1

Condenser for making perfume

You, we, teenagers, young, old, all of us encountered what we call as “perfume” in daily life.

May be thousands of perfume’s trade marks (brands) are available in the market: from famous to ordinary, from cheap to very expensive; from attractive to ordinary scents.

Many famous brand names perfumes made by modern manufacturer, mass scales, but some of them are homemade or small-scale industries.

In principle, we can produce perfumes by ourselves too, even in the garages.

First, we need apparatus called Condenser (please see above figure). It is a simple tool with two sides of tubulations: distilling flask in one side, and the receiving flask in another side.

Then, please prepared chosen fragrance herbs or shrewd plants in the distilling flask.

A flower, one source of scents. Illustration only.

There are plants or flowers could be sources of scent ingredient naturally, some of them are:

- jasmine

- lavender

- amyris

- lemongrass

- eucalyptus

- narcissus

- common lilac.

These plants known for their attractive fragrances.

Distilling flask which contains crushed plants or flowers within liquid, then ready to be heated.

Steam will bring the solvent, but crushed materials will stay in the distilling flask. Pure fragrance solvent will be collected in receiving flask.

Basically, this solvent could be used for further purposes such as for making perfumes.

You can make your own perfumes or may be your own brands. You may select many flowers you like as source of fragrances.

Just an example, luxury brand, Chanel used fragrance that extracted from plenty flower species include jasmine, rose geranium and iris pallida.

Would you try?