The holidays are the perfect time for some festive science fun. To help you get into the holiday spirit, here are a few chemistry-themed party tricks and a science-powered holiday cocktail. Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! Read more
Get ready for the holidays! Check out these helpful guides to engineering your perfect brownies and cookies. Read more
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Discover Magazine gets up close and personal with Thanksgiving genomes, and Harold McGee leads the way to a more delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Read more
Harvard professor David Edwards creates a new edible food packaging, and Chef Heston Blumenthal investigates why dunking cookies in milk (or tea) makes them taste so delicious. Read more
Researchers at University of Alaska analyze carbon isotopes to measure soda consumption, while German scientists study how our psychological state affects how we taste and perceive fat.
In his lecture Primitive X Modern, Chef Alex Atala questioned our cultural interpretations of what is “edible” or “delicious” by feeding us Amazonian ants. It turns out that insects aren’t the only controversial “food” in the culinary world—Smithsonian Magazine uncovers an unexpected ingredient in beer, while NPR explores the world of in vitro (i.e. test tube) meat. Read more
It turns out that giving fruits and veggies a good night’s sleep isn’t the only way to make them better to eat. Researchers at Texas A&M have shown that carrots produce more antioxidants in response to the “stress” of being chopped or shredded, while scientists at the University of Florida are working hard to make a tastier and more nutritious tomato. Read more
Author Jo Robinson explores the agricultural history of phytonutrients, while Harvard researchers move us a step closer toward understanding how the resveratrol in red wine and chocolate could be hindering the aging process. Read more
If you’ve ever wondered what 200 Calories look like on a plate, wiseGEEK has just the photo gallery for you! Meanwhile, scientists create a healthier chocolate by replacing fat with fruit juice. Read more
With all this talk of Human Cheese, we’re thinking—and reading!—a lot about the microorganisms in cheese and in our bodies. In this week’s round-up, researchers discover “secondary flora” that contribute to Stilton’s unique smell, and Michael Pollan investigates our symbiotic relationship with the microbes within us. Read more