Mayonnaise Avengers

Preface by Shelby Hatch, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Chemistry

In the fall of 2022, I taught “Chemistry of Nature and Culture” to the NPEP students at Logan. This is a liberal arts chemistry course that does not presuppose any chemistry knowledge.

I also polled the students before the class started about topics of interest to them, one of which was food. Regina wrote this piece for her final project in the class. The project included both a 10-minute presentation and a “paper” — no restrictions on the format of either (except to be creative)!

The prompt asked students to consider the following questions: Why did you choose this topic? What intrigues you about your subject? How does it work (at a chemical level)? What is its chemical structure?

BY REGINA DEFRANCISCO

Page 95: the words

NOV 2025

NO. 01

THE YOKER STRIKES AGAIN!

ACTION-PACKED!

AN ODE TO CHEMISTRY — AND A THRILLING ADVENTURE!

Page 96: the words

A CATASTROPHE HAS HAPPENED...

MAYONNAISE IS RUNNING LOW!

THE WORLD CAN’T SURVIVE WITHOUT ITS DELICIOUS SAUCE — THEY PUT THAT ISH ON EVERYTHING. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE MAIN INGREDIENTS AREN’T GETTING ALONG. VINEGAR AND THE EGG YOLK, BETTER KNOWN AS “THE YOKER,” GET ALONG QUITE NICELY. YOKER HAS A COUSIN WHO LIVES IN GOTHAM CITY, MAYBE YOU’VE HEARD OF ‘EM?

IT’S OIL WHO REFUSES TO PLAY NICE.

HYDROPHOBIC OIL AND HYDROPHOBIC VINEGAR ARE MORTAL ENEMIES SWORN TO HATE EACH OTHER UNTIL THE END OF TIME.

OIL AVOIDS VINEGAR AND HER BLADES OF FURY AT ALL COSTS.

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I CAN’T BELIEVE OIL IS BEING SUCH A BUTT! I COULD JUST TEAR HIM INTO PIECES!

NO YOKER! LEAVE THAT TO ME. YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU DO BEST... EMULSIFY!!

DON’T FIGHT IT OIL! THE PEOPLE NEED THEIR MAYONNAISE!

YOU TWO HAVE WON... FOR NOW. BUT YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT MY SECRET WEAPON — FLOCCULATION

HA HA HA

HEY GUYS ISN’T THIS COZY!!

YOKER, I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN FEND OFF MICROBIAL GROWTH??

TO BE CONTINUED...