Start your morning with some magic! No need for incantations. Just add hot liquid, and before your eyes, an amazing sight will appear. The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) Employees Association Bookstore has new Reveal Mugs in stock. They are also called “Magic Mugs,” as they change color, or transparency when the temperature increases.

When cold, the mug looks black, with the words ‘Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center’ in white. When hot liquid is added to the cup, the black pigment visually “melts away,” and reveals some of what we do here at MMAC. The Oklahoma City skyline appears at the bottom, as well as some of the many technical wonders of our Aeronautical Center; like the Academy’s Flight Simulators, the Logistics Center’s Tower Cab Glass efforts, Customs and Border Protection equipment, Computer Servers and circuitry, a Radome, a jet taking off, an airport diagram, a Commercial Space rocket, and an Air Traffic Control screen image, all tucked within the State of Oklahoma. In the background, a scissortail flycatcher (Oklahoma’s State Bird) glides over a subdued Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Sectional chart of the Oklahoma City area as well.

How does this mug work? In essence, thermochromism is the principle on which color-changing mugs function. The thermochromic paint, or heat-sensitive coating contains pigments (leuco dyes – organic, carbon-based chemicals) that change color according to differences in heat energy. Basically, the dyes shift from being opaque to completely transparent when heated.

Now that you know how it works, be sure to purchase one at the EA Bookstore, located near the breezeway, between Building no. 3 and Building no. 14. The cost is $14.99 without tax. Amaze your friends with magic! Be the life of the party! You may also order these mugs online at: www.eabookstore.com. Or, you can reserve yours now by calling the EA Bookstore at (405) 954-2665.