Science is Awesome has a story about 11-year-old Michal Bodzianowski from Colorado, who recently won a competition sponsored by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education that will test the effects of zero gravity on brewing. There were a total of 744 science proposals submitted by almost 4,000 students ages 10 to 17 in the competition. Who's amazed that a project that focuses on the future consumption of beer won?
Bodzianowski's teacher told The Register that the sixth grader recently got a book on interesting facts, which, in addition to many other tidbits, explained that in the Middle Ages beer was safer to drink than water. So Bodzianowski proposed a trial that would compare beers made in outer space with those made on Earth.
Bodzianowski's next step is to prepare the initial steps of the homebrew on the ground, which will then be put on a rocket at Cape Canaveral and blasted up to the International Space Station. Up there, an astronaut will cajole the water into beer, all according to the sixth grader's instructions.
At the same, time Bodzianowski will conduct the same experiment at home. And eventually someone, probably some "sciency" adult, will taste test the difference between zero gravity beer and the Space Brew.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of this experiment -- and there are many -- is that according to The Register, Bodzianowski's school "raised $21,500 to pay for the rocket launch," with sponsorships from Subaru, Raytheon and Otterbox.
So. Many. Questions.
So, you can launch something on a rocket for the price of a car?
And the kid won't really be able to test the results of his own project?
Who's on the space station?
Is there ever booze on the space station? Is that allowed?
Is this because of ShutStorm 2013? "Houston, we're running low on water."
What will Bodzianowski name the beer?
What's the drinking age on the International Space Station?
Will he recycle the spent grains and make granola bars out of them? He so totally should!
