Page 133 - How It Works - Book of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, 12

What life like on an oil rig?

equired to work for up to six months a year, oil workers are well
Rcompensated for the undeniably hazardous conditions they work in.
Wages are typically higher than in similar engineering disciplines and the
larger platforms and spars come complete with facilities more appropriate
to a cruise ship than a floating factory.
These facilities can include private rooms for the 100+ crew, cinemas,
24-hour restaurants and even gyms. Supplies are usually brought in by
helicopter or ship, making oil platforms better stocked than most
workplaces and significantly more important to the local economies they
reside in. It is estimated that every offshore worker supports up to ten more
in local industries such as food, transport or maintenance.
However, the dangers are constant and largely unpredictable. Offshore
drilling involves not just dealing with highly flammable oil and gas, with the
added danger of this being pumped out at exceptionally high pressures, but
also extreme wind and sea conditions. When danger strikes, support is
often miles away by helicopter or ship, and despite the high levels of training
and increasingly safe equipment, offshore fatality rates have been on the
rise in recent years. In addition to this, workers are often prone to alcoholism
or drug abuse to overcome the isolation and gruelling 12-hour shifts.

How can a machine

mal<e an espresso?

� The sdence and technology behind

& a silky smooth dose of caffeine
spresso is a brewing method for used to control the flow of water filtered
coffee that through the filtering through the grains. On home espresso
E of ground coffee through highly makers, this filter is usually the
pressurised water, generates an intense, pressurised variety, which is designed
deep and syrupy caffeinated beverage. to automatically compensate for poor/
Standard filter coffee is brewed using a uneven grind and tamps. The espresso
drip method - heated water is simply machine's pump then draws water from
poured over coffee grinds and allowed to its tank into its boiler for heating to the
filter through them under gravity alone, correct temperature. Advanced
absorbing their oils and essences. machines use a 'roller coaster'
However, espresso is a considerably more technique, where the ideal temperature
complex brewing method that involves is maintained in a constant process of
many stages of preparation and water heating, temperature checking,
production. These variables, which can boiler disconnection, temperature
have a dramatic impact on the finished checking and water reheating. This
product, includewatertemperature, means that the water temperature
pressure level, filter type, tamp level constantly fluctuates either side of the
(how much the ground coffee is ideal, resulting in a faster ideal
compacted before brewing), fineness of temperature pick-up time when water is
the bean grind, type of grinder, freshness required for an espresso.
of the beans and type of bean roast. Finally, the water is pressurised and
For the espresso machine brewing forced through the filter and coffee
process, the beans, which have been grains. The heat and pressure of the
grown and roasted, are first ground into water extracts and emulsifies the
incredibly fine, uniform grains using a essences of the ground coffee, producing
grinder. Next the grains are compacted a thick, syrupy liquid topped with a
by a tamper (a weighted device used to layer of crema - a fine-celled foam
compress the grains) into the coffee imbued with the taste and aromatic
machine's portafilter, a basket device properties of the bean. 0

WorldMags.net How It Works 133
WorldMags.net