Re: [ga] Austerity measures

[Sotiris Sotiropoulos <sotiris@hermesnetwork.com>]

"William S. Lovell" wrote:

> Sotiris Sotiropoulos wrote:
>
>> Perhaps the inflated time figures Elizabeth quoted have something to
>> do with the
>> fact that water takes longer to boil in high altitudes than it does
>> at sea level?
>
> You're going to hate me for this.   Water "boils" when it has reached
> a temperature
> at which its vapor pressure nearly matches that of the atmosphere.
> Since atmospheric
> pressure is lower at higher altitudes, water boils at a lower
> temperature.  Thus, what
> takes longer at higher altitudes is not getting the water to boil, but
> rather the cooking,
> since it occurs at a lower temperature.
>
> So maybe that's why the cooking that takes so long, huh?

Of course you're correct.  I was actually remembering a time when I was
cooking a pasta dish at a campsite 2459m above sea level...  It took an
inordinately long time to get the pasta cooked, as you rightly pointed
out.
Nonetheless, it still got done faster than Elizabeth's majordomo mailing
lists!

Sotiris Sotiropoulos

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