I felt a bit awkward, but nevertheless bravely continued, so I would like to think. And I was not very amused - although quite a bit relieved that the consultation was held before I started on my experiment - to find out that there were so many problems and flaws with my experiment.
Well, firstly, Miss Tan wanted me to buy caixin seeds to plant, in sponge. That had to be one of the weirdest things I've ever heard. I can't really imagine the dishwasher sponge, with several plants sprouting out of it. And caixin? The one my family eats for dinner nearly every day? Miss Tan said I can eat it afterwards, but I don't think my family would be enthusiastic eating caixin growing on sponges.
Miss Tan did advise me to go visit vegetable farms, but I have a feeling I don't have any time. There's studying to be done, and relaxation to be done, too, plus I still have to find a microwave oven because I don't have one. It makes one wonder why I even embarked on this experiment in the first place, if not because of curiosity, inspiration, and interest. I'm currently asking everyone I know if they have microwave ovens that they won't mind possibly exploding.
All that aside, I could visit vegetable farms and ask more about sponge-growing caixin if I have the time, but if I don't, hopefully vegetable farms are high-tech enough and have their own websites so I can just go in and ask them about growing caixin on sponges. I still can't get my mind around the concept.
Miss Tan wanted me to read up on how microwaves work, and try to simulate the boiling process to as close as the microwaving process. I wanted to tell her that I don't understand microwaves, and that this literature research would be torturous, but I kept my mouth shut. My fingers are typing rather freely, though.
Also, gases escape in boiling; Miss Tan wanted me to find out about microwaves. I can't really remember her exact words, but gases play an important role...I'm sure. I just have to try get over my hopefully temporary amnesia so I can remember what she was saying.
Miss Tan also advised me to do trial experiments since I will have to cool down the water in a microwave oven. I was so shocked when I heard that. How can I do that? I can't put a thermometer inside! So Miss Tan told me I had to start early because I had to take the water our periodically to measure and hence roughly estimate the time taken for the water to cool down to the desired temperature. I'm putting it at room temperature, 25 degrees Celsius, currently - of course it's subjected to change, but for now, 25 degrees. So I have to see how long I would have to cool down the boiled and microwaved water in the water boiler and the microwave oven so that it reaches around 25 degrees.
Also, I should test germination instead of plant growth, but I should not dump the plants down the rubbish chute once they germinated because I should continue observing them. Germination is easier to observe than plant growth, and for plant growth, I'm going to be putting it as the height of plant, and nothing else. According to Miss Tan, plants die easily. I know that firsthand, too, after I brutally murdered my cactus. So instead of the 3 per batch I was planning, which means 3 plants for microwaved water and 3 plants for boiled, I'm going to increase it to 10. It seems reliable enough...
Alright, so basically, my list of things to do:
- Find a microwave oven.
- Do trial experiments concerning time taken to cool water down inside microwave oven.
- Do literature reviews, try to understand how microwaves work.
- Try to talk with vegetable people on sponge-growing caixin.
- Possibly borrow a lab thermometer? I don't think a clinical thermometer would work, right?
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