“No two snowflakes are alike.” This is a statement nearly every schoolchild has heard at least once, either while crafting unique snowflakes with a sheet of folded paper and some scissors or while learning a lesson on the science of snow. While even most scientists don’t quite understand what causes a snowflake to form such complex and beautiful columns and points and branches, one thing is for certain, the composition of snowflakes guarantees that no two will ever be identical.  However, it is possible for two snowflakes to appear to be nearly exactly alike.

A snowflake begins to form when a piece of dust catches water vapor out of the air. Water is created when two hydrogen molecules attach to an oxygen molecule. The two hydrogen molecules are angled from one another in such a way that they form a hexagonal shape when they come together during the freezing process; thus, a snowflake begins as a simple hexagonal shape or as layers of hexagons called diamond dust. The emergent properties that follow from the original hexagon are what differentiate one snowflake from another, as the humidity, the temperature in the air, and many other factors (some of which remain unclear to scientists) allow each snowflake to form in an entirely unique way with a seemingly endless variety of shapes.

However, in 1988, a scientist named Nancy Knight claimed to have located two that were the same while studying snowflakes as part of an atmospheric research project. And it appeared to be so; when put under a microscope, the emergent properties looked nearly identical. But while it is feasible that two snowflakes can appear to be exactly alike on the outside, they are never identical on an atomic level. Deuterium is an atom that appears attached to about one in every 3000 hydrogen molecules in the air. Because there are millions of atoms that make up a snowflake, the random assortment of deuterium in any two snowflakes—even in two that so very closely resemble one another—simply cannot be the same.

Florida residents, it happens to all of us more often than we’d like. A storm, hurricane, or other catastrophe causes our lights to flicker and the power to go out. Power loss doesn’t just affect the lights—food can begin to spoil in your refrigerator and freezer, cell phone batteries die and are unable to be recharged, furnaces can’t keep your home and your family warm, and hot water to bathe, cook, and clean becomes limited. The list goes on and on. The next time a storm knocks out your power—again—you may find yourself thinking about investing in a standby generator to help you weather the storm.

There are many benefits of installing a standby generator in your Tampa or St. Petersburg home. Unlike a portable backup generator, a standby generator is doing just that—standing by, awaiting its turn to provide power to you and your family. Differences between the two power generators include:

With summer coming to an end, it is an excellent time to take advantage of the cooler weather to get some things down around the house. It is time to prepare for winter and the weather that accompanies the season. While you are taking care of putting away the outdoor furniture and blowing out the sprinklers, it is a good time to call an electrician in Beverly Hills to have an electric safety inspection completed. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help you discover any electric safety problems you may not be aware of. We tend to use more electricity during the winter plugging in Holiday lights, space heaters and spending more time indoors in general. It is important you make sure your home’s electric system is in good, working condition.

During the inspection, the electrician will evaluate your outlets, light switches and the electric panel to see if there are any issues. If you have been experiencing problems with flickering lights, an outlet that doesn’t work all the time or a tripping breaker, you need to let your electrician know. These are subtle warning signs of a bigger problem. You will want to get any Beverly Hills electrical repair work completed sooner rather than later.

You will rest easy knowing your home’s electrical system is up to code and doesn’t pose a serious risk to your family. During the inspection, the electrician will give you recommendations of things you can do yourself or have done by a professional to add another layer of safety to your home. These are optional and you will have the ability to decide if you want to go ahead and have it all taken care of or wait until it is a better time. Don’t delay, call The Electric Connection and schedule your electric inspection today.

By Clarissa Allison | June 24th, 2016

Energy is the crux of many social, economic, and climate problems.  Renewable energy sources offer a brighter, more sustainable future.  International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that almost 1 billion people will still be without access to electricity in 2030, in part owing to rapid population growth, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. The number of people without access to clean cooking stoves and fuels is similarly projected to drop only slightly, from 2.6 billion to 2.5 billion.

By Clarissa Allison | December 24th, 2015

Wow, now this is pretty impressive. The Tracy Light Show is a yearly and free Holiday Light Show put on by a local music director in Tracy, CA. This spectacular Star Wars production is sequenced to the film’s iconic musical score with over 70,000 lights, 14,000 channels, and special effects. Be sure to check out the rest of his amazing videos online.