Hacking Taste (encore)
Taste is the oldest of our five senses, and yet perhaps the least understood. It's far more complicated than salty versus sweet: new research is dramatically expanding our knowledge of taste, showing ...
10 Dec 202445min
The Curiously Strong Story of Mint
What’s the coolest flavor of the holiday season? It's peppermint, obviously, and it’s showing up in everything from coffee to chocolate and cookies to ice cream right now. But while standing in line f...
3 Dec 202447min
Dishwashing Debates: The Soapy Science Behind Everyone's Favorite Chore
Next week, the US celebrates the dishwashing Olympics—also known as Thanksgiving. But how best to tackle the washing-up after the big meal can cause as much conflict as your uncle’s hot takes at the t...
19 Nov 202451min
V is for Vitamin (encore)
They're added to breakfast cereal, bread, and even Pop-Tarts, giving the sweetest, most processed treats a halo of health. Most people pop an extra dose for good measure, perhaps washing it down with ...
12 Nov 202443min
Bringing Salmon Home: The Story of the World's Largest Dam Removal Project
The Klamath River on the California-Oregon border was once the third largest salmon river in the continental U.S. There were so many fish, indigenous histories claim that you could cross the river wal...
4 Nov 202458min
Potatoes in Space! (encore)
Today, a half century after Neil Armstrong took one small step onto the surface of the Moon, there are still just ten humans living in space—the crew of the International Space Station. But, after dec...
29 Okt 202447min
Absinthe: The World's Most Dangerous Drink?
To painters and poets in late-1800s France, absinthe was "the green muse" or the "green fairy," an almost magical potion that promised vivid dreams, wild ideas, and artistic inspiration with every sip...
15 Okt 202445min
From Trash to Treasure: Why's It So Hard to Save Restaurant Leftovers From the Dumpster?
Every day, at the end of service, restaurants throw away tons of entirely edible food: heaps of pastries and whole loaves of bread, vegetables chopped but not cooked, noodle dough, fish off-cuts, and ...
1 Okt 202448min
