Science Fair Project

Feeling like the All-American child today as I began yet another science fair type project on the weekend for work.

I am currently in the process of de-calcifying a bone by storing it in vinegar for two weeks. The aim is to get rid of all the calcium and be left with a bendy bone. This is then to become a prop in the 'Sporty Science' show that I have help re-write with the Physics-educator-type-man I work with.

*quietly chortles at the fact that I, who hate sport and am quite squishy, and a portly gentleman have developed a show all about sport and the importance of exercise*

The butcher looked at me very strangely when I said I needed a full bone, about 15cm long that I was going to do a science experiment with to demonstrate at a museum. I hastily bought some other meat too to compensate for my weird request.

Tthe bone had meaty bits still on it, but I couldn't boil it off or the bone would be too brittle and turn to mush in the vinegar, so I've left the meat bits on.

I'm supposed to change the vinegar every day, but I left it for two days at work over the weekend. So far, so good, so gross.

As you can see, the bits of meat have gone nice and bleachy, and there's a nice glob of fat at the top that has gone gelatinous. The vinegar was a brown colour this morning and looked really quite disgusting. Now it is in nice, clean vinegar, which I'm sure will be gross again in a day or so. The worst part is having to touch it to try to get some of the goop and meat off it. Bleargh.

If this fails miserably I'm going to stick it in come hydrochloric acid.