by Pauli Born
Sitting in class, I pondered what my next topic would be, knowing that this had to be a banger because my previous works had bombed. As I observed my classmates, I noticed their excitement. Some girls immediately scribbled their next topic on the outline that was given to us, while other girls sat, like me, with frustration etched on their faces. Some had fistfuls of hair tightly grasped in their hands as the wheels in their heads slowly turned, needing that extra boost. “What is your favorite word?” was a question that was asked at the beginning of the year. I was a completely different student then, thinking that impressing the professor was my ultimate priority. “Positivity” was what I wrote, thinking that if I shared with my professor a word that I live by on a daily basis, that would sure show the professor how positive I was as a student. Oh, how wrong I was; it just showed how much of a suck-up I was to my professor. I made sure not to relive that moment when choosing my next word, making sure I sounded sophisticated and educated. So, I changed my word from “Positivity” to “Bubbles,” an elaborate and mature answer for my audience.
The blood is flooding through your body, pulsating. That one vein appears prominently as it becomes the focal point on your forehead. Boom… boom… boom…The heart is beginning to race, cutting off all sound. Anger is what you are feeling, once the blood rushes up to your head and the imaginary smoke exits your ears. The sudden urge to explode is boiling in the pit of your stomach, itching its way to come out. A headache formulates as you scream, “BUBBLES!”
Suddenly, everything stops, and your heartbeat slows down. Your forehead is as smooth as a baby’s bottom and your watering eyes become the focal point as you laugh. Realizing that no matter the feeling, the word “bubbles” will always have a positive effect behind it.
Why? Why, would the reader of this essay want to spend time out of their day to enlighten themselves on bubbles? Bubbles occur around us every day, happen in our drinks, when washing dishes, and when blowing a nice large bubble of gum. The purpose of this essay is to show the reader that these are how all of those bubbles exist and why they are so attractive and pleasing to humans from the young to the old. Because who would not gravitate towards the bubbles that are being blown through the bubble wand?
Have you ever thought of how bubbles were created or why they exist? Bubbles are a thin sphere of liquid enclosing air or another gas. Bubbles are a result of water molecules separating from each other, therefore popping when extreme force is within the air pocket. The origin of this word was from Dutch/German from the word, “bubbeln” but there is no record to prove who exactly first used the word.
Carbonation a blessing to the drowsy, the reason why soda, beer, champagne, and others are beverages that pleases everyone. One may not think of carbonation, but bubbles are essential for complete enjoyment. Consider one drink specifically: beer. For all the beer lovers out there, beer would not exist if it were not for those tiny little bubbles that are on top before you take a cool sip. Bubbles bring carbon dioxide, which is produced during fermentation. The chemical breakdown of bacteria and yeasts, which in this case converts the sugars in beer to ethyl alcohol making that pee-colored liquid that so many frat-boys drink. Bubbles also trigger several senses on your tongue, specifically your sour receptors. As you are taking a cool sip of Bud Light, the bubbles are not only letting you taste that one you just cracked opened, but it is also cleaning your mouth, refreshing your palate, and not leaving any trace of bitterness. Bubbles are essential not only in your mouth but also for the pleasure of viewing. Imagine this: you are given both room temperature tap water and carbonated water. The lone water sitting still, reflecting sadness and calm while the other displays crisp bubbles fizzing within the drink. The slight popping reaching your ears bursting with mystery and excitement, who could deny? Bubbles are pleasing to the eye; like dogs, we immediately are distracted with the loud pop of the bursting bubbles and their appearance in the light. Lastly, carbonation burst within your mouth, throat, and stomach giving you either that warm fuzzy feeling or that burning sensation as it travels through your nasal passage spewing out of your nose after a good laugh. Each beer brings different bubble dynamic to the table, so remember when you are cracking the next cool one with the boys, that bubbles are your best friend.
It is finally your turn; you are given the soapy substance contained in a long blue cylinder tube. As a kid you knew you were the cool one on the block when given the large bubble wand. You grab the bubble wand and carefully inhale as much oxygen as your toddler body can intake and as you exhale with extreme, yet, sufficient force, an insane bubble appears and is followed through many more. Ever wonder why or how it works? Bubbles are a thin film of soapy water, but instead of it being filled with air, water is mashed between two layers of soap molecules. Each of the soap molecules are “oriented so that the polar hydrophilic head faces the water, while the hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail extends away from the water layer.” The initial bubble can be any shape but will find a way to morph into a sphere. This is because the sphere minimizes the surface area of the structure requiring the least energy. Not only are soap bubbles made of, soap, they also consist of detergent a.k.a. glycerin. Glycerin extends the life of a bubble by forming weaker hydrogen bonds with water, slowing down its evaporation. Soap contains a carboxylate group that reacts with the calcium and magnesium ions, which is what detergent lacks. Making the perfect concoction, a bubble.
Hubba bubba, Willy Wonka, you name it, chewing gum is a kid’s right of passage. Gum has a history that goes as far back as the Greek times when they would chew resin from mastic trees. 1928, Walter Diemer, twenty-three-year-old, working at Fleer Chewing Gum Company, stumbled upon a formula where gum turned into chewing gum. He was the first successful inventor of bubble gum, forming a less sticky and more flexible recipe that allowed for the substance to be blown and chewed. Diemer used pink dye in his gum due to having limited resources at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company, knowing that pink would become the emblematic color of bubble gum around the world. The name of his recipe was Dubble-Bubble. Diemer sold his product through blowing bubbles and became the only bubble gum on the market in the U.S. until WWII, with the Bazooka Bubble Gum. In today’s time bubble gum is sold popularly worldwide, but why? Diemer was able to capture his customers through blowing a bubble. The satisfaction of hearing and feeling that bubble popped is what lured his customers in. Who knew those tiny air pockets could be such a big hit!?