Ask a Scientist: Is Pudding a Solid or Liquid?

For the first installment of "Ask a Scientist," I will diving into the world of pudding.  But first...

Pudding takes the shape of it's container so it must be a
liquid, right?

I went back and read my original "Ask a Scientist" post and I wanted to clear something up first.  I never intended for the post to sound arrogant or snobby.  My only intention was to try to find some new interesting subjects to look into and write an informative post on them.  I am not saying that I know all the answers or that I am a genius.  I just enjoy researching all kinds of science and I also love to share fun science (such as quantum locking)!  So without further delay, let's get back to pudding.  Which is an awesome topic to discuss!

So is pudding a solid or liquid?  Short answer, it is a liquid.  Long answer, it is hydrocolloidial gel.  I'll explain...

Milk is another example of a colloid,
because the solid fat molecules are
dispersed in the water of milk.

Short answer; if we look at pudding like we were in grade school again and try and determine it's state of matter we would classify it as a liquid.  It has no definitive shape (it takes the shape of the container it is in) but it will not diffuse out of an open container.  So by all accounts it is a liquid.

Long answer; when making pudding there are essentially two phases that make up the pudding.  The first is the powder mix (or raw ingredients if you happen to be a grandma or Paula Dean) that consists of a starch, sugar, flavorings, colorings, and probably some preservatives.  This comes in the form a of solid powder.  Then we have the liquid phase, usually water or milk (which is essentially water for our purposes here).  Now when these two phases are combined and are not completely miscible they form a colloid.  Miscibility is the ability for two things to coexist as one medium (like when you dissolve sugar in warm tea to make sweet tea).  Colloids are when one phase is dispersed within another phase.

Pudding is the same state of matter as hair gel!
A liquid dispersed within a solid.

Here, the main two ingredients that determine the overall state of matter for pudding is starch and water.  Because starches have variable molecular weights and consist of chains of sugars, they tend to form amorphous solids, solids without a definite crystal structure and have a little liquid like properties.  Once the water is dispersed within the amorphous solid of the starch, this increases the liquid like properties overall.  This type of colliod is called a hydrocolloid because it specifically uses water.  Lastly, this is considered a gel because the water is dispersed within the solid.  So thus the hydrocolloidial gel!  Which is actually more like a solid.

So to answer the question is pudding a solid or liquid, it is both!  I hope that helps and you can impress your friends at your Christmas parties!  Thanks melpels for the question!

PS - Tapioca pudding is the easiest example of this hydrocolloidial gel that is both a solid and liquid, because there are literal chunks in that pudding, ugh.

Knowledge is Power?

Wow! So the last couple of weeks have literally flown. I had graduation, bachelor party, grad open house, L'ville trip, wedding rehersal, wedding, and finally summer training. And those are my excuses for not posting. But all those activities and travels have led me to a new thought....is Knowledge really Power?

I ask that question because in the last couple of weeks I have been conversing with a wide range of people (family, close friends, old friends, new friends, other summer employees in housing, etc). And I have found that everywhere I go I encounter two major thoughts.

The first is the paranoia that comes with knowing too much medical background. The best way to describe this is through a specific example. Strep throat. Everybody has had strep throat at one time or another. We go to the doctor, they gag us with their ten inch q-tip, and then make us wait for 5 hours to tell us that our extremely inflamed throat is in fact strep. What scares me is knowing that if left untreated too long we can develop antibodies against strep throat which also attack our own heart valves. (Congrats you just got a small dose of paranoia!) This may seem small but things like this run through my mind every time anyone around me has any medical condition. Yes, I overreact some, but I would rather call the paramedics for indigestion than be giving CPR to a dead friend (that's a heart attack for those of you who may not know that the two can feel very similar). Honestly, I can live with the paranoia. But...

The second thought is the arrogance of people and their own health. I personally got into pharmaceuticals to help as many people as possible. What bothers me is when I hear a friend or family member talking about what fish oils they are taking or what new medical test they just had done. Even though I only have a degree in pharmaceutical sciences, I understand that 90% of what all people do for their health is incorrect or futile. The amount of supplements and personal remedies that everyone claims should work for everyone is ridiculous. We are all different and our bodies need and react to different things. Yet, trying to hold a reasonable conversation with these people about this is not going to happen because "I'm not a doctor," or "they read it in a magazine or saw it on The Dr's so it must be true!" It is utterly frustrating. I do not go on power trips or like to belittle people with my knowledge. Yet, most of the time trying to discuss people's health ends in arguing. I don't know why that is but it may come from egos clashing or our innate sense to always be right. Whatever the case, the best way for me (and all of us) to learn is by discussing things openly and admitting to being wrong now and again. Trust me, I am wrong a lot!

A professor gave me some good advice this year and I totally agree. He said, "the more you study and learn, the less you know." Basically, as we grow and learn about more concepts, we discover more things that we do not know about. And I don't know a lot. I am excited to continue my studies in the fall, but I know that with more knowledge comes more paranoia and more frustration. So I ask if you get one thing from this post it is that we live in the information era, but that doesn't mean we know more. Magazines, books, the internet, TV shows all embellish the truth and you should take everything with a grain of salt until you speak with a medical professional. So Knowledge is Power, but true knowledge comes from perspective and attitude.

I would also like to give a shout out to my good friends, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn and Anne Pratt. Your wedding was awesome and I am forever grateful to have been a part of it. Best wishes!