I haven’t always thought of beer as an underdog. But that’s why I became a beer expert. When I moved to Portland, Oregon, from Salt Lake City, I noticed an incredible range of beer at the grocery store: piney IPAs, smooth stouts and refreshing pilsners. So I started writing about beer. As I learned more about the complexities of the drink – the ingredients, brewing techniques  and history – I…

With Sand, Size Matters Most people think that sand is defined by what it’s made of, but it’s actually just a size. Geologists define sand as any granular mineral substance which a diameter between 1/16 of a millimeter to 2 millimeters. Sand grains are smaller than gravel, but larger than silt, in a continuum which goes from boulders all the way down to clay. Sand is nothing more than grains…