What Coke Contains (2013) • Hacker News Board

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#91

Post by pm90 » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:01 AM UTC

scintill76 wrote: post #72

Swizec wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Basic concrete is actually not that complex. You need to burn limestone until it collapses into a powder, then add sand and water. Done. For stronger cement, add clay powder. Have you never had relatives who built a house? Sure, usually you'd buy the powdered stone, but I've heard stories of my great grandparent's generation making it on site.

(Rhetorical questions) What does limestone look like? Where can I find it, and what do I need to know about working with it? How hot does the fire have to be, and what do I need to know to build a fire that hot? Maybe I'm just dumb on some of these points, but these are my personal followup questions that indicate that, even knowing these basics, I couldn't immediately make concrete without "civilization". Even the g…

Limestone is the brittle yellow rock that you can find sometimes. Hmm, now Im interested in how they locate it underground. But there are many naturally occurring open deposits like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Cliffs_of_Dover

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#92

Post by zafka » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:03 AM UTC

scintill76 wrote: post #72

Swizec wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Basic concrete is actually not that complex. You need to burn limestone until it collapses into a powder, then add sand and water. Done. For stronger cement, add clay powder. Have you never had relatives who built a house? Sure, usually you'd buy the powdered stone, but I've heard stories of my great grandparent's generation making it on site.

(Rhetorical questions) What does limestone look like? Where can I find it, and what do I need to know about working with it? How hot does the fire have to be, and what do I need to know to build a fire that hot? Maybe I'm just dumb on some of these points, but these are my personal followup questions that indicate that, even knowing these basics, I couldn't immediately make concrete without "civilization". Even the g…

Wikipedia is your friend, but the easiest place to get calcium carbonate is from shells. Most parts of the world have earthenware clay from which vessels can be made.

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#93

Post by ladelfa » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:06 AM UTC

bjornsing wrote: post #40

> The top of the can is then added. This is carefully engineered: it is made from aluminum, but it has to be thicker and stronger to withstand the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas, and so it uses an alloy with more magnesium than the rest of the can. Nope, the pressure from the carbon dioxide pushes equally against all sides of the can. If anything the pressure at the top is slightly lower than at the bottom, at le…

Top also needs to be stronger to handle the stress of the flip-top, which -- fun fact! -- starts off as a second-class lever and ends up as a first-class lever.

http://crowdtube.tv/watch/pop-can-stayon-tab-slow-motion/

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#94

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:17 AM UTC

a8da6b0c91d wrote: post #57

Someone1234 wrote: post #29

I wish Coca Cola would make a acid free version of coke. The Phosphoric Acid adds a slight tang to the drink, but in exchange absolutely destroys your teeth over years of consumption. For regular drinkers like myself I'd happily pay a small premium to buy the "acid free" version of the drink. The sugar still does damage but with both the acid AND sugar it is like a double whammy of "badness" (acid which destroys your…

Your teeth re-mineralize constantly. They're not inert. This idea that eating acids or whatever permanently scars teeth is wrong. If your teeth are failing to heal up from a couple cokes a day the problem is serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

[deleted]

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#95

Post by magicalist » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:20 AM UTC

NickNameNick wrote: post #82

magicalist wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, that's definitely wrong. It looks like it's been an unsourced fact in there since the beginning of 2008. Enamel erosion due to acid is tied to the acidity of the mouth, which, if the pH drops low enough, starts the demineralization of teeth (note, however, that this is a dynamic process, with systems in place to remineralize teeth, and that this dance happens every time we eat or drink something). Typically car…

I don't think pH works the way you think it does. Neutral pH is 7, things with a lower pH are more acidic Things with a higher pH are basic. So Carbonated water, with it pH of ~4 is a much stronger acid than something with a pH of 5

ah, I can see how you could read my last statement like that, but we're actually in agreement.

Carbonated water's acidity puts it at a lower pH than the acidity needed to start demineralization, so carbonic acid can cause enamel erosion.

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#96

Post by coralreef » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:21 AM UTC

a8da6b0c91d wrote: post #57

Someone1234 wrote: post #29

I wish Coca Cola would make a acid free version of coke. The Phosphoric Acid adds a slight tang to the drink, but in exchange absolutely destroys your teeth over years of consumption. For regular drinkers like myself I'd happily pay a small premium to buy the "acid free" version of the drink. The sugar still does damage but with both the acid AND sugar it is like a double whammy of "badness" (acid which destroys your…

Your teeth re-mineralize constantly. They're not inert. This idea that eating acids or whatever permanently scars teeth is wrong. If your teeth are failing to heal up from a couple cokes a day the problem is serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Also don't brush your teeth directly after consuming soda or acidic juices/fruits!

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#97

Post by joering2 » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:22 AM UTC

d0mdo0ss wrote: post #11

> coca-leaf which comes from South America and is processed in a unique US government authorized factory in New Jersey to remove its addictive stimulant cocaine According to Wikipedia "The Stepan Company is the only manufacturing plant authorized by the Federal Government to import and process the coca plant, which it obtains mainly from Peru and, to a lesser extent, Bolivia. Besides producing the coca flavoring agen…

Does this mean I cannot open my own company to process coca-leafs? Can I sue the government due to monopoly practices? Why this factory is any better than any citizen wanting to open coca-leaf processing plant??

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#98

Post by TylerE » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:37 AM UTC

raverbashing wrote: post #32

"The top of the can is then added. This is carefully engineered: it is made from aluminum, but it has to be thicker and stronger to withstand the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas, and so it uses an alloy with more magnesium than the rest of the can" Yes, but the pressure is the same on all parts of the can. Ok, almost the same, still. Maybe because of the parts that have been cut to make it easy to open?

The top is (basically) flat.

The sides and bottom are curved.

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#99

Post by magicalist » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:42 AM UTC

orbifold wrote: post #90

Someone1234 wrote: post #29

I wish Coca Cola would make a acid free version of coke. The Phosphoric Acid adds a slight tang to the drink, but in exchange absolutely destroys your teeth over years of consumption. For regular drinkers like myself I'd happily pay a small premium to buy the "acid free" version of the drink. The sugar still does damage but with both the acid AND sugar it is like a double whammy of "badness" (acid which destroys your…

Of course you realize that if there wasn't any Phosphoric Acid in the drink, you would vomit due to the intolerably high concentration of sugar. The acid is fooling your body into drinking the stuff and besides damaging your teeth depletes calcium ions.

No, this is really not true. It's so odd how tenacious these "facts" are when just putting them in context shows how they couldn't possibly be true (let alone actually trying them out).

Simple syrups have a ratio of sugar to water much higher than a coke, and if you try one directly, you'll find it just tasting sweet. Or just eat some sugar or a sugar cube, which has a totally insane concentration of sugar.

You certainly won't be in any danger of vomiting.

Re: What Coke Contains (2013)

#100

Post by scintill76 » Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 1:48 AM UTC

zafka wrote: post #92

scintill76 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Rhetorical questions) What does limestone look like? Where can I find it, and what do I need to know about working with it? How hot does the fire have to be, and what do I need to know to build a fire that hot? Maybe I'm just dumb on some of these points, but these are my personal followup questions that indicate that, even knowing these basics, I couldn't immediately make concrete without "civilization". Even the g…

Wikipedia is your friend, but the easiest place to get calcium carbonate is from shells. Most parts of the world have earthenware clay from which vessels can be made.

I know I could look it up, that's why I said they were rhetorical questions. The information is appreciated nonetheless.

I'm not saying I'm helpless to learn these things, just reinforcing GP's point that the average first-worlder (or at least programmer) doesn't know the first thing about this kind of stuff. Even when you do know the "first things" from Wikipedia, it's not necessarily going to enable you to just go out and make concrete from scratch in an afternoon on your first try.