Happy Easter! Following the VA tradition of holiday-related science stories, here are two for Easter…
Scientists at the University of Nottingham have been using some of their high-tech apparatus to test out the physical and chemical properties of Cadbury’s Creme Eggs*.
Findings include the very interesting fact that the eggs can withstand 110 Newtons in a compression test before collapsing in a sticky mess.
The experiments can be seen on the Universities Sixty Symbols website, where there are videos related to 60 symbols of physics and astronomy. Definitely worth a look when the weather gets a bit wetter…
*Cadbury’s Creme eggs are chocolate eggs with delicious, creamy and very sweet white and yellow filling. A central part of Easter in UK, if they are not available in Sweden I suggest you demand their introduction at once.
On a slightly more serious note, research by Professor Colin Humphreys from Cambridge University believes that the Last Supper was not on Maundy Thursday but a day earlier.
This research has implications for an accurate dating of Easter, which would give weight to the argument for fixing the date of Easter and so the annual holidays. Changing it every year has implications for schools, universities and many businesses.
Gospel accounts give alternative days for the last supper and this has long puzzled biblical researchers. John says it took place before the Passover, whereas the others on the Passover itself. This is strange (says Prof Humphreys) as Jews were very unlikely to confuse the Feast of the Passover with another meal, but the discrepancy can be explained by Jesus (and John) using an older version of the calendar, and the others a more modern lunar calendar. It would also explain how the events leading up to the crucifixion happened over a seemingly short time– there was in fact an extra day for them.
Using this explanation alongside the modern solar calendar we can date Easter Sunday to April 5th and thus avoid the changing date of Easter.
Wishing you all a very happy and sunny weekend.
