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Do you know about the growing gummy bear experiment? It takes very little room, isn't messy, and kids love it!

Here's how we landed on this experiment...

My kids and I stopped at the drug store for baby wipes, and my 3.5 year old bombarded me with five minutes of excitement that sounded like this, "Mom, stop! You have to see this. Mom, can you get me this light up candy cane/cup shaped like a fairy/snow globe. Wait!!! I really want it!" Ugh. Why do stores have to put all their bling at child height?

I normally adore her enthusiasm, but I have a short wick for the begging and pleading for random odds and ends. Pair that with a one-year old who insists on standing in the shopping cart and you get the picture of me yearning for a hot cup of coffee and a trashy magazine.

In my mom-haze I accidentally walked us down the candy aisle on the way to check out. Dumb move, I know, and my older daughter quickly managed to pull a bag of gumdrops off the display with a request to make gumdrop sculptures.

Ack. She knows my weak spot for creative projects!

Um, yes, we can buy the gumdrops for the sake of your growing mind. And with that, she also pulled down a pack of gummy bears. I remembered reading about a gummy bear experiment, and that's how we ended up bringing these little jelly woodland creatures home with us.
The experiment is easy.
Add a gummy bear to water. Check on it after a couple hours and compare its size to the original gummy bear. See what happens if you leave this in the water for one day, two days, and three days.

Set up a number of bowls and place one gummy bear in each one. Add different liquids to each bowl (water, soda, vinegar, etc.) and see how or if the solutions change the results.

Document the changing scale of the gummy bears with drawings or photographs.

Compare the taste of the plump bears with the original bears.

My older daughter and I each had to eat one, of course, we chose a couple to add to the water. I asked her what she thought might happen to them after being submerged, and she said she didn't know. After a couple hours we checked on them, and found them covered in tiny bubbles. We compared them to one of the dry originals, and the wet bears were a bit plumper!

I left 3.5 year old N in the kitchen while I put her baby sister down for a nap, and returned to find her nibbling on one of the plump bears!! She had this to say, "I know I wasn't supposed to eat the bear, but I had to also compare the way they taste to see if they tasted the same." How could I be upset with that?

In all, we let the bears sit in water for three days, and you can see the size difference in this image. The gummies kept expanding and then finally seemed to fall apart.

If you try this at home, and want to do a taste comparison, be sure to refrigerate your gummy bears so they don't grow bacteria. Yikes!

Gummy bears are made up of water, sugar, and gelatin. Like a sponge, gummy bears will absorb water but the gelatin keeps the bears from dissolving in the water.

If you enjoyed this project, check out my book, TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors.

More Science Experiments

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Growing Gummy Bear Experiment | TinkerLab

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Do you know about the growing gummy bear experiment? It takes very little room, isn't messy, and kids love it! Here's how we landed on this experiment... My kids and I stopped at the drug store for baby wipes, and my 3.5 year old bombarded me with five minutes of excitement that sounded like this, "Mom, stop!

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DOVER

At a farm in late February, Sue Harrell is talking about Florida strawberries, which are thriving right now despite a too-hot start to their season. * Harrell, director of marketing for the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, kneels down until she's even with a row of plants dotted with the bright red jewels, picks one off and sinks her teeth into it. * This is the "Sweet Sensation," a variety being tested in the 10-acre Florida Strawberry Research and Education Foundation field behind the association's event center. The goal? To create the perfect strawberry. * Florida is No. 2 in strawberry production behind California, and the 65 growers and more than 10,000 acres that make up the Florida Strawberry Growers Association are responsible for a lot of that produce. March is the fruit's best month, even this season, when a warm December threatened the crop. * Harrell spends her days getting the word out about the state's berries, the majority of which are grown in the Plant City area. She is full of facts about strawberries you likely don't know, her ultimate goal to educate people about the fruit cultivated right here in the Tampa Bay area. * "Strawberries are an impulse buy," Harrell said. "A banana you buy every week. For some reason, strawberries are different. We would love to be the banana." * Here are 10 facts about strawberries, from when they grow to where they go after they are picked, that might surprise you.
1 A handful of strawberries contains more potassium than a banana.
Just eight strawberries contain the daily requirement for vitamin C, and more potassium than a banana. Another fun fact: There are about 200 seeds on a strawberry. Since they're on the outside, strawberries are an outlier in the berry family, and technically not even considered a berry, which typically has seeds on the inside.

Redder strawberries do not necessarily mean sweeter strawberries. Harrell said that as long as the berry is fully colored, it's ripe and ready to eat.

"Consumers need to be on the look-out for shiny berries. And the green top, which is called a calyx, it needs to look fresh, too," Harrell said.

There are many different varieties cultivated in the association's test fields, including the Winterstar and Radiant. The Sweet Sensation berry that Harrell tasted is currently being held up as a model berry, and a benchmark going forward. The goal is to identify positive attributes - like appearance, taste and ability to withstand certain weather conditions - and work them into future varieties to create the best berry possible. Harrell said this variety isn't perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.

"The Sweet Sensation has the color, it has the shape, it travels well," she said. "This is like a four-bite strawberry. And when you take a bite, it's going to be sweet, even if it's not super red."

The growing season runs from about Thanksgiving to Easter (typically the end of March). Planting begins in October, and harvesting begins in mid-November. Harrell said most people are surprised to learn it's during winter, but Florida's moderate temperatures provide an ideal climate.

This season has been a bit funky. Because it was so warm in December, a lot of fruit came in early, then stopped growing for a while.

"There was a large gap - two to three weeks of the plant sitting there without producing," Harrell said.

Now, the plants are producing like normal. March is usually the best month for Florida strawberries, and the point at which they're most affordable to consumers.

"At this point in the season, there is no shortage. They're picking a lot of berries right now."

For the most part, strawberries picked on commercial farms in the Tampa Bay area are sold to supermarkets, as opposed to local markets. Even more leave the state.

"Most of our fruit travels up the East Coast to those markets," Harrell said. "We used to say 80 percent but now it's like 70 percent, because we do have large retailers here that handle a lot of our fruit."

When Florida strawberries are picked, they go right into the plastic clamshell container in which they are sold. After being picked, they're taken to a cooling facility, because, as Harrell said, "strawberries and heat don't mix." But they're not handled much beyond that before you buy them, which reduces the risk of food-borne illness.
8 Leave berries whole and unwashed when storing them at home. 10 Prices, not fruit supply, determine the end of the season.
When you see Florida strawberries in the grocery store, chances are they are pretty fresh. Strawberries usually have to be sold the same day they get to the store. And often, berries are shipped out from the farms the same day they are picked, Harrell said. That means a turnaround of about four days, from their farm to your cart.

The best way to keep your strawberries from spoiling quickly is to leave them unwashed when you first bring them home. Harrell said the ideal storage vessel is in fact their plastic container, because it is well ventilated, so your best bet is to leave them in there. Pop them in the fridge, because heat and humidity causes them to go bad quicker. And wash them just before you're ready to eat them.

One strawberry plant can be picked about 50 to 60 times a season, or about once every three days. It takes about 35 to 40 days for a bloom to turn into a berry. How do the plants constantly produce so much fruit? All of the blooms on the plants are in different stages. So when one red berry is picked, there are a couple of buds next to it that will be ready in a few weeks.

Many times, it's not for lack of fruit that local farms stop selling their berries to supermarkets. Harrell said many fields end up with leftover fruit that can't be sold because it's no longer marketable.

"If the market price falls below harvest cost, we have to stop picking. It's not because the plants run out of fruit. They'll continue to produce," Harrell said. This usually happens later this month, when we get warmer weather and more rain. That's when the California berries start to populate local stores.

When this happens, many local fields will open their doors to the public and the fields become "U-Pick," meaning anyone can go and pick berries directly from the plants. Harrell said there often isn't much advance warning, so when farms become available for U-Pick, it's best to go as soon as possible. Plants blooming now will yield berries at the end of March.

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10 facts about Florida strawberries that might surprise you

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DOVER At a farm in late February, Sue Harrell is talking about Florida strawberries, which are thriving right now despite a too-hot start to their season. * Harrell, director of marketing for the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, kneels down until she's even with a row of plants dotted with the bright red jewels, picks one off and sinks her teeth into it.

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Why is the ocean salty? the USGS Water Science School.

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Voting for this episode is now closed. Would you like to vote on the most recent poll?

I pulled three questions from my jar. Which question do you want to explore next week?

How can you tell if a plant is poisonous?

-Landhon, 5th Grade

What do garbage trucks do with garbage?

-Miles, 3rd Grade

Why do we sweat when we play sports?

-Aditya, 4th Grade

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Voting for this episode is now closed. Would you like to vote on the most recent poll? I pulled three questions from my jar. Which question do you want to explore next week? How can you tell if a plant is poisonous? -Landhon, 5th Grade What do garbage trucks do with garbage?

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national oceanic and atmospheric administration

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Why is the ocean salty, but rivers flowing into it are not?

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The saltiness of the ocean is the result of several natural influences and processes; water from rivers entering the ocean is just one of these factors

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Mom always said never play with your food, but that wouldn't be any fun! Using fun food, like gummy bears, is a great tool to teach kids about the basics of chemistry.

The Amazing Growing Gummy Bear

The amazing growing gummy bear is a simple and fun experiment for children under the age of 12. The set up will take under an hour, but the experiment will run for at least 48 hours.

Related Articles

While most sugary candy dissolves in water, gummy bears are made with gelatin, which prevents the bears from dissolving. The gummy bear experiment is a great way to teach kids about osmosis. Osmosis is the process when water moves from a greater concentration of water to a lower concentration of water, such as the gummy bear. Try the experiment and see what happens!

Materials

Gummy Bears

Three glasses of water

One tablespoon of salt

One tablespoon of sugar

Ruler

Calculator

Kitchen scale

Paper towels

Pen and paper

Clock or timer

Instructions

1. Select three gummy bears of the same color.

2. Measure the length, height and width of each gummy bear and write it down.

3. Weigh each gummy bear and write it down.

4. Label each glass with its contents: water, salt water or sugar water.

5. Fill the glass labeled water with one-half cup of plain water.

6. Fill the glass with labeled salt water with one-half cup of water. Add and mix in one tablespoon of salt until all the salt has dissolved.

7. Fill the glass labeled sugar water with one-half cup of water. Add and mix in one tablespoon of sugar until all the sugar has dissolved.

8. Add a gummy bear to each glass and note the time.

9. Wait 12 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.

10. Replace the gummy bears back into their glasses.

11. Check back after 24 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.

12. Replace the gummy bears back into their glasses.

13. Check back after 48 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.

How Does It Work?

What happened to the gummy bears? Why do they grow instead of dissolving like other candies? Gummy bears contain gelatin which is the same ingredient in Jell-O. Once the water and gelatin have cooled, the water in the gummy bears is drawn out leaving behind a delicious solid candy bear.

Gelatin is a long chain-like molecule that twists to create a solid form. When a gummy bear is placed in a glass of water, it becomes the solute. The solute is the dissolved material in the solution. The water is the solvent. Since the gummy bear does not contain water, when it is added to a glass of water, the water moves into the gummy bear by the process of osmosis.

Salt is a much smaller molecule than gelatin. There is more salt molecules in the water mixture than there are in the gummy. The water molecules will move towards the salt molecules to even out the number of water and salt molecules in the solution. That's why the gummy bear in the salt water doesn't grow that much if at all. What happened to the gummy bear in the sugar water?

The Amazing Growing Gummy Bear Part II

Now that the kids have learned what happens to the gummy bears in water and salt water, it's time to find out what gummy bears do in other solvents. The experiment doesn't need to be fancy, just find other liquids in the kitchen, like vinegar, milk, vegetable oil, or anything else that can be found in the pantry and refrigerator.

Materials

Gummy Bears

Glasses or bowls

Vinegar

Milk

Vegetable Oil

Other liquids found in the kitchen (optional)

Ruler

Calculator

Kitchen scale

Paper towels

Pen and paper

Clock or timer

Instructions

1. Select three (or more depending on the number of solvents) gummy bears of the same color.

2. Measure the length, height, and width of each gummy bear and write it down.

3. Weigh each gummy bear and write it down.

4. Label each glass with its contents.

5. Fill the glass labeled with its liquid contents.

6. Add a gummy bear to each glass and start the timer.

7. Wait 12 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.

8. Replace the gummy bears back into their glasses.

9. Check back after 24 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.

10. Replace the gummy bears back into their glasses.

11. Check back after 48 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.

Osmosis Made Easy

The amazing growing gummy bear experiment is a fun and simple experiment to teach children the basic principles of osmosis. By using colorful and delicious gummy bears, kids can see how water moves in and out of the bear. We just don't recommend eating the bears after they have been in salt water or vinegar!

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Gummy Bear Science Experiments | LoveToKnow

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Mom always said never play with your food, but that wouldn't be any fun! Using fun food, like gummy bears, is a great tool to teach kids about the basics of chemistry. The amazing growing gummy bear is a simple and fun experiment for children under the age of 12.

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Credit: George Frederick

The fizz that bubbles up when you crack open a can of soda is carbon dioxide gas (CO2). Soft drink manufacturers add this tingling froth by forcing carbon dioxide and water into your soda at high pressures-up to 1,200 pounds per square inch. The "fssst" you hear is millions of carbon dioxide molecules bursting out of their sweet, watery prisons, where they have been held against their will.

An unopened soda can is virtually bubble-free because the pressure inside the can keeps the carbon dioxide dissolved in the liquid.

When you crack open the can, you release the pressure and allow the gas bubbles to wiggle free from the liquid and rise to the surface. This requires energy because in order for the gas to break free from the liquid it has to overcome the force holding the liquid together.

One way to input energy is to shake the beverage. This adds the zing needed to unleash more tiny bubbles and add real splash to a celebration.

Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter @llmysteries. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

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The fizz that bubbles up when you crack open a can of soda is carbon dioxide gas (CO2). Soft drink manufacturers add this tingling froth by forcing carbon dioxide and water into your soda at high pressures-up to 1,200 pounds per square inch.

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Can't we just leave our fruit alone?

Last year, apple farmers were soaking their fruit in grape flavor to make them more attractive to kids. Now, plant breeders in California have created a grape that tastes like - well, spun sugar and air.

That's right, Salties. Say hello to the Cotton Candy grape.

"When it pops in your mouth, the first impression is a rush of cotton candy flavor," says Spencer Gray, a personal chef in Culver City and blogger at Omnivorous who has sampled the grapes. "The green grapes don't look or smell like cotton candy," he tells The Salt, "but they will remind you of a circus." His son, he says, loves them.

At about $6 per pound, this sounds like a lucrative gimmick that takes a perfectly pleasant fruit and jazzes it up into junk food. But when we dug deeper into the grape's origins, we found that its creator is actually trying to do the opposite.

Horticulturalist David Cain wants to bring back the natural flavors of our grapes, which have been stripped away by decades of breeding fruit to withstand shipping and storage - not to please our taste buds.

"When you go to the supermarket, there's like 15 kinds of apples - Fuji, Pink Lady, Gala, Braeburn. The list goes on," Cain tells The Salt. "We want to give consumers the same array of flavors for grapes."

And he's doing it without genetic engineering or artificial flavors. Just good old-fashioned plant breeding.

Cain and his team at International Fruit Genetics in Bakersfield, Calif., made the Cotton Candy grape by hybridizing two different grape species. So the designer fruit is actually a hybrid - like pluots, peacharines and cherums.

"We already have other varieties that taste like strawberry, pineapple or mango," he says. "We're still testing those out to see if they're commercial viable."

The Cotton Candy grape has already cleared those hurdles - it has been commercially available in limited quantities since 2011. In fact, sales have been so good that the fruit's distributor, The Grapery, bumped up its production from just two acres to 100 acres this year, with 200 acres planted for 2014.

Weighing in at about 18 grams of sugar per 100 grams of grapes, the designer fruit isn't cloyingly sweet. It has about 12 percent more sugar than regular table grapes but far less than raisins, which have more than three times the carbs.

So just how do these green grapes conjure up the sensation of spun-sugar melting on your tongue?

The fruit has very little tartness, chef Spencer tells the Salt. "It's like there's nothing to stop the sweetness. It just lingers on your tongue."

There are also hints off vanilla, Spencer says - and vanilla, it seems, is a key flavor in the archetypal "pink" cotton candy that makes your dentist cringe.

To get that vanilla flavor into the table grapes naturally, Cain and his team had to widen the plants' gene pool, mixing in genes from less common grape species.

Almost all of the table grapes in America belong to the species Vitis vinifera. There's nothing wrong with that. V. vinifera is a noble grape. It's used to make all of our wines.

But the world has dozens of grape species, and restricting the fruit in grocery stores to just one species also limits their flavors, Cain says.

Take, for instance, the Concord grape. It's used to make Welch's juices, jams and jellies. The dark-purple berry is packed with exotic flavors and aromas, including one known as " foxy." But the Concord grape has seeds and its skin tends to fall off - not great qualities for a table grape.

So Cain decided to put all the flavors of a Concord-like grape into the firm, crisp and seedless Vitis vineferia by crossing the two species. (He couldn't say exactly which Concord-like grape he used because it's a trade secret).

Breeding seedless grapes isn't easy, because they can't reproduce on their own. After fertilizing the plant, Cain and his team have to take out the baby embryos from the plant, then grow them in individual test tubes in the lab before they ever make it to the field.

Cain painstakingly created around 100,000 of these test tube plants before he stumbled upon the cotton-candy flavored grapes.

"The whole process takes at least six years and sometimes up to 15 years," Cain says. But he thinks it's worth it.

"A lot of fruit becomes tasteless by the time somebody buys it," Cain says. "We want to change that."

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The Cotton Candy Grape: A Sweet Spin On Designer Fruit

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Grapes that taste like cotton candy? No, it's not a GMO experiment but rather the result of good old-fashioned plant-breeding techniques. One scientist has already brought these sweet treats to the market and hopes our grape choices will one day be as varied as our apple choices.

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For more than two centuries,
Californians have been cultivating grapes

Grapes have been around a long, long time - in fact, the first grape varieties date as far back as 6000 B.C. In California, the fresh grape boom hit in 1839 when a former trapper from Kentucky, William Wolfskill, planted the state's first table grape vineyard in the Mexican colonial pueblo now known as Los Angeles. An agricultural entrepreneur, Wolfskill was the first farmer to ship fresh grapes to Northern California. R.B. Blowers expanded the idea and sent the first 22-pound box of California grapes to Chicago via the new transcontinental railroad in 1869.

Grapes Today

The gold rush may have ended, but the grape rush continues. Today, over 99 percent of grapes commercially grown in the United States come from California. With over 85 varieties grown, California grapes come in three colors - green, red and black - and are available May through January. During the 2017 season, California table grape growers harvested over 109 million boxes of grapes, sending them to more than 55 countries around the world, at a crop value of $1.81 billion.

California table grapes are grown in two distinct areas: Coachella Valley and San Joaquin Valley. These valleys offer the optimal growing conditions for grapes of the highest quality.
Explore California

Committed to quality

California's table grape growers are committed to giving you the best tasting, highest quality grapes in the world, so we apply the highest standards of production to every vine we grow. Our grapes are cultivated, picked, packed and transported with the greatest care to ensure the berries you enjoy arrive in just-picked condition: plump, juicy and perfect.

HOW TO select and enjoy

With these simple tips, you'll be guaranteed a great grape experience:

Selecting Grapes

Look for grape bunches with green, pliable stems and plump berries. Do you see a powdery-white coating on the grapes? That's bloom and it's good! Bloom is a naturally occurring substance that protects grapes from moisture loss and decay. Green, red or black...which color should you choose? Try them all to experience different flavors and textures.

Storing Grapes

Grapes can keep for up to two weeks when following a few simple steps:

Always refrigerate for maximum shelf life

Store unwashed and dry; rinse before serving

Avoid storing compressed or squeezed

To avoid odor absorption, do not store grapes next to onions or leeks

Enjoying Grapes

Grapes can be eaten fresh or frozen and are a wonderful addition of flavor and texture to anything from salads to sides, drinks to desserts. Whether sautéed, roasted, grilled or even pickled, grapes make it easy for anyone to take their snacks and meals to the next level.

Find hundreds of recipe ideas here

garnish & decorate

Dipped in white, milk or dark chocolate, Grapes from California are the perfect match for dipping in chocolate! Enjoy with dessert, like cheesecake, with tea or even just on their own.
Green, red and black Grapes from California are easy to dip in chocolate using this recipe.

Tiny buds on the vine start to swell and green leaves start to appear. Appearance of the first green leaves through the bud scales is called budbreak.

LEARN MORE >

DID YOU KNOW...

At a crop value of $1.81 billion in 2017, California table grape growers harvested more than 109 million boxes of grapes, sending them to consumers worldwide.

There are about 450 table grape farming operations in California.

California grapes are your local grapes! 99% of the commercially grown table grapes in the United States are grown in California.

Grapes from California are available May through January.

Grapes are considered berries, with an average of 100 berries on a bunch.

If left alone, a grapevine will spread 50 feet or more.

One of the most popular Chinese tongue twisters (chi putao bu tu putao pi) means, "When you eat grapes, don't spit out the skin." Turns out that's a good piece of advice! Grapes are a source of beneficial phytonutrients, which are found in the skin as well as the flesh and seeds of the grape. One of the most widely known phytonutrients, resveratrol, is being studied around the world for a vast array of promising potential health benefits.

There are nearly 200 recipes on our website to help inspire your next meal, snack, or dessert.

A Spanish tradition called "the twelve grapes of luck" dates back to 1895 and consists of eating a grape with each bell strike at midnight on January 1. Many believe this leads to a year of prosperity.

© 2000-2019 CALIFORNIA TABLE GRAPE COMMISSION

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All About Grapes | Grapes from California

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Grapes have been around a long, long time - in fact, the first grape varieties date as far back as 6000 B.C. In California, the fresh grape boom hit in 1839 when a former trapper from Kentucky, William Wolfskill, planted the state's first table grape vineyard in the Mexican colonial pueblo now known as Los Angeles.

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Grapes are a popular agricultural crop all over the world. There are more than 10,000 different varieties of grapes worldwide, which are consumed in a variety of forms. Whole grapes intended for fresh consumption are called "table grapes." Grapes can also be dried to make raisins, preserved in jams and jellies, or crushed to make juice.

Global grape production currently amounts to more than 75 million metric tons per year. Today there are well over 18 million acres of cultivated vineyards worldwide. Italy produces the majority of the world's grapes, with an annual grape production of 8,307,514 metric tons. France and the United States aren't far behind, with annual productions of 6,740,004 and 6,206,228 metric tons, respectively. Spain and China each produce well over 5 million metric tons each year. Turkey produces 3,763,544 metric tons annually. Argentina, Iran, and Chile have an annual output of more than 2 million metric tons, and South Africa produces a solid 1,587,913 metric tons each year.

Much of the world's grape cultivation is intended for the production of wine, and nearly all of the countries on this list are among the world's top wine producers. Over 60% of the world's wine is consumed within Europe, with Italy, Spain, and France dominating the world's wine export market. Over half of the world's wine is exported from these three countries.

Europe's Wine-Making Giants

Italy is home to more than one million vineyards located in almost every region of the country, and wine has been produced here for thousands of years. Starting in the second century BC, the Romans pioneered techniques of large-scale wine production and developed innovative storage solutions for barrel making and bottling.

Nearly all of the world's most popular wine grapes are French varieties, having either originated in France or become famous through French winemaking. Many of these grape varieties are household names to wine consumers, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The French are prolific wine consumers as well as producers, drinking nearly 74,000 gallons of wine in 2014.

Spain

Spain, due to its ideal Mediterranean climate, is also one of the top grape-producing countries in the world. Table grape production amounts to between 120,000 and 140,000 metric tons annually.

Grape Production In The Americas

United States

The United States is the third largest grape producing country in the world, after France. Nearly a million metric tons of US grapes are produced for eating, around one-seventh of the country's output.

Argentina

Argentina is an emerging player on the international wine market. It is also the seventh largest grape producing country in the world. Vine cuttings were introduced to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and grape cultivation quickly spread to neighboring regions and, later, to other parts of the country.

Chile

Although Chile ranks ninth in grape production, the country is a world leader in table grape exports. Over 800,000 metric tons are exported each year, primarily to North American and European markets. Chile and many common French grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, and Franc were introduced to the region in the mid-19th century.

Asia, Africa, And The Middle East

China

China has recently become one of the world's biggest grape producers. The country is home to world's second largest wine growing area, comprised of nearly two million acres of vines. Wine production is second to table grapes, which are consumed in the country or shipped to Southeast Asia.

South Africa

South Africa has been producing wine since the mid-17th century. Most vineyards and are concentrated around Cape Town.

Iran and Turkey

Iran and Turkey are two countries with high levels of grape production despite the fact that very little of Turkey's population consumes wine, and wine consumption is illegal in Iran. But both countries have an ideal climate for grape cultivation and produce massive amounts of table grapes and raisins.

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Grapes are a popular agricultural crop all over the world. There are more than 10,000 different varieties of grapes worldwide, which are consumed in a variety of forms. Whole grapes intended for fresh consumption are called "table grapes." Grapes can also be dried to make raisins, preserved in jams and jellies, or crushed to make juice.

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When Brian Garfield wrote the 1972 novel , about a New York City accountant-turned-vigilante named Paul Benjamin, he had no idea that it would spawn one of Hollywood's longest-running film series, with five movies released over 20 years. The first film, 1974's Death Wish, was so controversial that Garfield openly wished it would not be air on television after it allegedly inspired some real-life copycat killings.

While Charles Bronson will forever be linked to the lead role (who changed from Paul Benjamin to Paul Kersey for the film, and became an architect), Bruce Willis is getting ready to give the iconic character a go with Eli Roth's update of the film, which hits theaters this weekend. In the meantime, here are 15 things you might not know about Death Wish.

1. IT WAS INSPIRED BY A COUPLE OF REAL-LIFE CRIMES (THAT WERE MUCH LESS VIOLENT).

Author Brian Garfield was inspired to write Death Wish after he grew very angry when, in separate incidents, his wife's purse was stolen and his car was vandalized. "I knew the vandal had done us no real harm ... Yet my first response to the discovery of this mindless violence was swift and stark," Garfield later wrote. "My boundaries had been violated, my property trespassed upon. He had no right. ' I'll kill the son of a bitch.'" While Garfield's flash of anger eventually dissipated, the idea of writing a novel about a man who never got over crimes committed against his immediate family didn't fade away so easily.

2. ORIGINALLY SIDNEY LUMET WAS SET TO DIRECT, WITH JACK LEMMON STARRING.

The adapted screenplay by Wendell Mayes ( Anatomy of a Murder, The Poseidon Adventure) was written with the idea that Sidney Lumet would be behind the camera and Jack Lemmon would be starring as Paul. Lumet supposedly wanted to shoot it in black and white. When Dino De Laurentiis came on as producer, Lumet dropped out. With Lumet out, Lemmon lost interest.

3. HENRY FONDA AND GEORGE C. SCOTT BOTH TURNED DOWN THE LEAD ROLE.

Henry Fonda declined the part because he said the script was "repulsive." George C. Scott said no because of all its violence.

4. CHARLES BRONSON AND HIS AGENT DISAGREED ON THE FILM'S MESSAGE.

While Charles Bronson was immediately interested in the role, his agent wasn't so sure. "It's the only time Paul Kohner, my agent, ever disagreed with me about a film," Bronson said in 1974. "Paul felt very strongly that it was a dangerous picture-that it might make people think it's right to take the law into their own hands. This is what the hero of the picture does when he wants a one-man vigilante squad to kill muggers, after three of them have murdered his wife and raped his daughter. I told Paul I thought the message was the same there that runs through a lot of my pictures: That violence is senseless because it only begets more violence."

5. BRIAN GARFIELD THOUGHT BRONSON WAS ALL WRONG FOR THE PART.

Garfield didn't like the fact that as soon as Bronson appeared on screen, "you knew he was going to start blowing people away." Winner dismissed the author's criticisms, calling him "an idiot."

6. BRONSON THOUGHT DUSTIN HOFFMAN SHOULD HAVE PLAYED HIS PART.

Even though he liked the message, Bronson wasn't originally convinced that he would be the best actor for the job. "The way the part was written, it was about a meek little New York-born accountant," Bronson said. "I thought it was a much better picture for Dustin Hoffman." Eventually, it was director Michael Winner who convinced Bronson to take the role anyway. "He said we could change the part to a more active and virile architect, and we'd all make a potful of money."

7. JEFF GOLDBLUM MADE HIS FILM DEBUT IN THE MOVIE.

When discussing his feature debut, Jeff Goldblum admitted,"I stick out like a sore thumb. Goldblum played one of the "Freaks" who killed Paul's wife and raped his daughter. Back in 1983, Goldblum told New York Magazine that a job was a job. "Did it bother me it was such a brutal part? No. It was the first movie I'd gone up for, and I got it." Winner remembered Goldblum as being "loose and brilliant" in his audition.

8. OLYMPIA DUKAKIS HAD A SMALL ROLE, BUT DOESN'T LOOK BACK ON THE FILM FONDLY.

Olympia Dukakis was uncredited, but paid, for playing one of the cops at the precinct. It wasn't a particularly positive experience for the future Oscar winner. "Yeah, they sent me over, and the director [Michael Winner] was, uh, not necessarily liked by the actors," Dukakis told The A.V. Club in 2015. "I mean, he made me turn around, and he wanted to see me, and ... he treated me like a piece of meat during the audition. But it was, like, one day, so I could take the money and go home and say, 'F**k you and the horse you rode in on.'"

9. THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT USING THE WORD "DEATH" IN THE TITLE.

Posters with the title Sidewalk Vigilante were printed because De Laurentiis worried about having the word "death" in the title. "The fact that it had the word death made me a little uneasy, a little perplexed," the producer admitted. "Then I realized it might bring in an additional audience-horror flick fans-so I left it the way it was." For his part, Winner thought Sidewalk Vigilante was a "ghastly" title.

10. HERBIE HANCOCK WROTE THE SCORE, AT THE SUGGESTION OF MICHAEL WINNER'S GIRLFRIEND.

"It was the first film score by Herbie Hancock, the brilliant jazz musician," Winner wrote in his memoir, Michael Winner: Winner Takes All: A Life of Sorts. "I chose him because Dino wanted a cheap band and at the time I was having an affair with one of the actresses in the movie who was very into jazz music. She said, 'Herbie Hancock is a new genius.' I listened to his record Head Hunters, thought it absolutely brilliant, and persuaded Dino to take him."

11. GARFIELD THOUGHT THE MOVIE AND HIS BOOK SENT DIFFERENT MESSAGES.

"The point of the novel Death Wish is that vigilantism is an attractive fantasy but it only makes things worse in reality," the author said in 2008. "By the end of the novel, the character (Paul) is gunning down unarmed teenagers because he doesn't like their looks. The story is about an ordinary guy who descends into madness. Oddly enough Mayes's script honored that thought, and the only significant change in it during shooting was the wordless ending, but that ending changed the story entirely." The ending had Bronson smirking at some Chicago hoodlums while cocking a finger gun.

12. THE MOVIE GOT SOME HARSH REVIEWS.

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that "it's a despicable movie, one that raises complex questions in order to offer bigoted, frivolous, oversimplified answers" and found it to be "a bird-brained movie to cheer the hearts of the far-right wing." Variety's review opened by claiming Death Wish is "awkwardly hung" on the "vulgar exploitation hook" of "poisonous incitement to do-it-yourself law enforcement."

13. AUDIENCES LOVED IT SO MUCH THAT PARAMOUNT PICTURES CHARGED THEM MORE MONEY TO SEE IT.

Prices were raised from $3.50 to $4 per ticket. At that point, only The Godfather (1972) and The Great Gatsby (1974) had been as expensive. Death Wish ultimately made $22 million at the box office.

14. CHICAGO AND SAN FRANCISCO REFUSED TO AIR IT ON TV.

When it came time to air the movie on network television, Washington D.C. delayed the start time from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Chicago and San Francisco opted not to air it. But every other major CBS affiliate around the country aired an edited version of the film during on primetime on November 10, 1976, despite Garfield's protests. "I think it is a dangerous film," he said. "And the proof is that several people have already committed vigilante crimes inspired by the film, and said so." Garfield said this despite potentially losing $50,000 if Death Wish didn't run.

15. SYLVESTER STALLONE WANTED TO REMAKE IT.

Sylvester Stallone was set to direct and star in a Death Wish remake for MGM back in 2008. When that project, uh, died, it opened the door for Eli Roth and Bruce Willis to step in.

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When Brian Garfield wrote the 1972 novel , about a New York City accountant-turned-vigilante named Paul Benjamin, he had no idea that it would spawn one of Hollywood's longest-running film series, with five movies released over 20 years.

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Gummy worms may be a staple in terms of childhood memories (anyone else stock up on them at the mall's candy store before heading into a movie?), but have you ever stopped and thought what exactly you're eating?

Unlike Skittles or Starburst, which clearly mark out the flavors, it was always a bit of a mystery what flavors the different colors were supposed to represent and, unlike their cousin the gummy bears, it was always a bit of a mystery why we enjoyed something that was shaped like a slimy dirt dweller.

So what's the story behind these mysteriously delicious gummy treats? In honor of National Gummy Worm Day, which was July 15, we dug up some fun facts on this childhood favorite.

The gummy candy concept apparently originated in 1922 by a German candy maker.

Gummy candy superstar Trolli was the first to develop the gummy worm, which happened in the early 1980s.

Trolli's idea was built on traditional American marketing values: making something gross enough looking to shock parents and simultaneously attract children.

Most gummy worms are a combination of 2-3 flavors, each with a different color. Some of the most common combos include red/orange, red/white, and green/yellow.

The ingredient that gives gummy worms their signature chewiness is none other but the fan favorite (kidding) gelatin. Gelatin is made from animal by-products (often bones), which not only makes gummy worms non-vegan but also makes us feel pretty gross about eating them.

Other major ingredients include corn syrup, the king of processed foods, sugar ( 21g per serving, whoa), citric acid, and lactic acid.

Trolli has five flavors: orange (orange), cherry (red), lime (green), lemon (yellow), and apple (colorless).

*Note: Haribo bears have the same orange and lemon flavors, but use green for strawberry, red for raspberry, and colorless for pineapple. This would explain why some of us were always confused why we sometimes liked green (strawberry) and sometimes didn't (lime).

There are two major types of Trolli gummy worms: the original and the Sour Brite Crawlers, which are covered in a layer of sweet-sour sugar crystals.

A grown-up version is pretty easy to make. Gummy bears or worms are both acceptable choices.

As veganism has become an increasingly popular choice over the last few years, many vegan gummy worm recipes have emerged.

This video of the world's largest gummy worm recently went viral. We're not actually sure why, because this really freaks us out. But if for some reason you feel compelled to buy one, you can.

Although there are other brands that have jumped in on the gummy worm fun, Trolli seems to maintain their hold on the industry.

The kid-friendly "worms and dirt" dessert is apparently not that outdated.

Okay, so the gelatin thing is kind of a bummer. But we won't lie...we're kind of craving some now. Anyone else?

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Gummy worms may be a staple in terms of childhood memories (anyone else stock up on them at the mall's candy store before heading into a movie?), but have you ever stopped and thought what exactly you're eating?

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How Do Plants Grow - Things Plants Need To Grow

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Plants are everywhere around us, but how do plants grow and what makes plants grow? There are many things plants need to grow, and this article will explain more. Click here to get additional info.

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Today's Wonder of the Day is full of ups and downs!

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Amusement Park Physics -- Roller Coaster

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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum

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Nothing comes close to a fun-filled day with the family at a theme park, and experiencing a ride on roller coaster to get your adrenaline pumping. Take a look at these amazing facts about roller coasters all over the world.

1 - The fastest roller coaster:

The fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa ride, is located in Abu Dhabi's Formula One theme park and launches its riders to a top speed of 149 miles per hour.

2 - The tallest roller coaster:

The tallest roller coaster is located in the Six Flags Great Adventure Park, New Jersey. Kingda Ka roller coaster reaches up to a whopping height of 465 feet!

3 - The longest roller coaster:

Japan's Nagashima Spa Land is home to the longest rollercoaster in the world. The Steel Dragon 2000 has a track which covers 8133 feet.

4 - The highest number of inversions:

Thorpe Park holds the current record for the number of inversions. The ride Colossus has an incredible ten inversions -not for the faint hearted!

5 - The oldest roller coaster:

The oldest roller coaster was built in 1904 in Lakemont Park, Pennsylvania. However, a little bit closer to home, Norfolk to be precise, is home to one of the oldest roller coasters in the UK. The Scenic Railway roller coaster was built in 1932 and has remained operational since.

6 - The largest amount:

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California currently has the highest amount of roller coasters in its park with 19 rides within its park.

7 - Longest time spent on a roller coaster:

Richard Rodriguez set the world record back in 2012 by riding the 'Big One' in Blackpool for 112 consecutive days.

8 - How do roller coasters work:

Many conventional roller coasters do not have any sort of engines, instead, they work by converting potential energy into kinetic energy.

9 - The first steel roller coaster:

In 1959, the first ever steel roller coaster was created. The Matterhorn bobsled roller coaster was built for Disneyland in California.

10 - If all countries were as cold as Russia, roller coasters might not exist:

In the 17th century, Russia froze water over a tall wooden structure to make an ice ramp. Riders used to sit on blocks of wood and ice stuffed with star and slid down the ramp. Apparently, Paris wanted to join in the fun but realised it was impossible because of their warmer climate. However, they decided to add wheels onto the sledges and a track to the ride in 1817, creating the modern roller coaster.

We have a lovely range of weekend breaks for families which are a short distance from Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach; where you can find an array of family-friendly rides.

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Nothing comes close to a fun-filled day with the family at a theme park, and experiencing a ride on roller coaster to get your adrenaline pumping. Take a look at these amazing facts about roller coasters all over the world.

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1. Nail polish originated in China as early as 3000 BC.
The ingredients included beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, and vegetable dyes. In Ancient Egypt, nail polish was even used to signify class rankings: The lower class often wore nude and light colors, while high society painted their nails red. (No wonder red manis are so iconic!)

2. The invention of the car spurred the creation of the first modern-day nail polish.
Inspired by automobile paint, a completely colorless version was introduced in 1916. Revlon became the first established nail polish brand in 1932 when they released a cream color.

7. In 2012, nail polish sales reached $768 million.
This was a 32% increase over 2011, and was probably due to a rise in nail art mania.

8. Actress Rita Hayworth popularized red nail polish.
After the introduction of Technicolor, Rita's bold nails launched a polish movement. Much later, Uma Thurman would start a new trend of vamp-colored nails, thanks to her hit role in Pulp Fiction.

9. There are 13 types of nail polish finishes.
And they include: shimmer, micro-shimmer, micro-glitter, glitter, frost, lustre, crème, prismatic micro-glitter or shimmer, iridescent, opalescent, matte, duo-chrome, and translucent.

11. Some nail polishes have food in them.
Well, food extract that is. Nails Inc. recently launched a brand of nail polish with kale, which they claim will smooth and brighten nails. Londontown Lakur's formula includes garlic to strengthen and harden nails, while others have cucumber that allegedly prevents splitting.
Photo credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat/Getty Images NEXT: 6 French Manicure Designs That Are Far From Boring "

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16 Things You Didn't Know About Nail Polish

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1. Nail polish originated in China as early as 3000 BC. The ingredients included beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, and vegetable dyes. In Ancient Egypt, nail polish was even used to signify class rankings: The lower class often wore nude and light colors, while high society painted their nails red.

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While it's easy to get carried away by the constant rotation of gorgeous shades being released by our favorite brands, nail polish has another very important component: how it's formulated. Given its spectacular ability to stick, stain, and transform our fingertips, it may be worth taking a step back and asking, what is nail polish made of? Whether you tend to lean toward matte, iridescent, or a classic sheen, here's a quick guide to what makes up our favorite nail polish.

Generally speaking, the composition of nail polish relies on three key elements: pigments for color, a suspension base for consistency, and adhesive polymers, which allow polish to adhere to your nails and prevent chipping. To get a bit more specific, the pigments typically found in nail polish are often found in an array of cosmetics and include ingredients like titanium dioxide (white and lighter tints), titanium oxide (black and darker shades), ultramarine (blue), chromium oxide (green), and carmine (red), among others.

The suspension base is comprised of various solvents such as butyl acetate and ethyl acetate. Nitrocellulose acts as a film-forming polymer that dissolves in the solvent, allowing nail polish to stick to whatever surface it's applied to-which is also what makes nail polish such a nightmare to clean when accidentally spilled.

Shimmer polish can also include crushed mica or even natural pearls. If you see the word 'guanine' on the ingredient list, this refers to a glittery substance that's actually derived from fish scales.

Knowing what nail polish is made of is an important companion to knowing where it comes from. With its origins traced back to ancient China, nail polish has been around for thousands of years. And if you doubt that what goes around comes around, consider that the Zhou Dynasty saw trends shift from metallic shades like gold and silver to classic shades like red and black in the 7th century B.C.

Shop a few of our favorite shades below from brands we love.

This pretty peach polish by OPI has flecks of gold shimmer for the perfect springtime manicure.

Deborah Lippmann's polish includes biotin and keratin to strengthen and protect nails. We love this vampy indigo shade.

Essie's two-step Gel Couture line stays put, no UV light needed. Add on the Gel Couture Top Coat ($12) as the final step.

Context's line of minimalist colors is vegan, cruelty-free, and nontoxic.

Smith & Cult's line is filled with bold, highly pigmented colors. This celadon shade will be our go-to this summer.

Oribe's gorgeous line of polish offers highly pigmented color in a single coat.

Vegan and cruelty-free, Côte polish is highly recommended for those seeking natural polish that will stay put.

Butter London's high-shine polish contains bamboo extract and diamond powder to strengthen and brighten nails.

Sally Hansen's polish is a classic for a reason. Its line of long-lasting shades comes in a gorgeous range of colors and finishes that all cost less than $10 a bottle.

Marc Jacobs's Hi-Shine Polish is designed to give a bright, freshly lacquered finish.

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What Is Nail Polish Made Of? Your Questions Answered

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While it's easy to get carried away by the constant rotation of gorgeous shades being released by our favorite brands, nail polish has another very important component: how it's formulated. Given its spectacular ability to stick, stain, and transform our fingertips, it may be worth taking a step back and asking, what is nail polish made of?

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Strawberries are the first fruit after rhubarb to ripen in spring and early summer. They are the siren call of early-season farmers markets in warmer and temperate climates, harkening people to market before that day's supply runs out. Perfectly ripe strawberries are best eaten out of hand, of course, but they also make great additions to salads and plenty of desserts.

When strawberries are in season it is important to know what to look for, the different varieties, and how to store them. And, if you are lucky enough to have a farm nearby, you'll need to get tips on how to pick strawberries.

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Everything You Need to Know About Strawberry Season

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Strawberries are the first fruit after rhubarb to ripen in spring and early summer. They are the siren call of early-season farmers markets in warmer and temperate climates, harkening people to market before that day's supply runs out. Perfectly ripe strawberries are best eaten out of hand, of course, but they also make great additions to salads and plenty of desserts.

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How Strawberries Are Harvested | The Produce Nerd

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See a behind the scenes view of how strawberries are harvested on a commercial scale. Footage was gathered from Darensberries in Santa Maria, CA.

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When it comes to flavor, home-grown strawberries are hard to beat! Learn how to plant, grow, and harvest strawberries in your garden with this growing guide from The Old Farmer's Almanac.