There are at least 7,500 different apples to be found around the world and each one is unique. Wonder what makes such a diverse population? Apples are like parents, and every seed a child. We might share some characteristics with our moms and dads, but certainly not all of them!
Ever wonder what happens inside your Brita filter? Water filtration has been around since the early 1800's but our methods have really improved with time. Watch the video to get a better understanding of how activated charcoal is used commercially!
Apples hold a special place in world culture. We give them to teachers as a sign of respect, we tell our loved ones they're the apple of our eyes, and we still hold to the age-old medical advice: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Ever wonder what makes apples so special?
We live in a world inundated with water filters, I bet nearly everyone reading this has, at some point, owned a Brita filter or some other such product. But do you know what these filters do? Do you know what they remove?
Baffled by the variety of rices available to you at the grocery store these days? Check out this lesson on the anatomy and biology of rice, then learn which kind is best suited for the specific meal you're cooking!
Rice is the staple food for over half of the world’s population. As a commercial crop it has the third highest worldwide production (after maize and sugarcane). But, considering that much maize is not even grown for human consumption, rice is the most important crop to our species. It provides more than one fifth of the calories consumed around the world by humans.
Though you may think of soft serve as something purely to be purchased at a carnival or ballpark, think again! Using dry ice in the kitchen really pays off here, a little science goes a long way when it comes to ice cream.
Halloween is coming up which means we will all be investing in some blocks of dry ice. But what is dry ice? Have you ever stopped to consider the inherent contradiction in its name? Click through for a thorough investigation of this beautiful chemical!
Looking for a fun experiment in the kitchen for your family this weekend? Learn how to make rock candy, an exciting exploration of geometry, crystallization, and super-saturation!
Want the secret to a killer party trick? Buy a pound of dry ice and make your guests instant soft serve ice cream after dinner, then toss your hair over your shoulder and say, "Oh, this? It's nothing." Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide and reaches dangerously low temperatures (-109 degrees!), which is perfect for making icy desserts.
Looking to refuel after a grueling workout? Learn the science behind electrolytes and get a better understanding of what your body needs when you've been sweating.
I'm a sucker for candy, particularly candy of the sucking variety. Though to be honest, when I'm presented with a stick of rock candy I am much more likely to crunch its crystals to smithereens than delicately decay them with saliva. There is something so terribly pleasing about the obliteration of sugar between teeth.
Rock candy, so popularly associated with garishly colored sticks and strings, makes its first appearance in world culinography in 9th century Iran. It seems even at such an early time in human history we had already learned to grow sugar crystals. And why would we be growing sugar crystals? Keep reading!
Hitting the gym and getting sweaty? When you're finished with a workout your body needs a boost of minerals in addition to a healthy dose of H2O. Shake up this quick drink and bid adieu to bottled sports drinks. You've got the ingredients on hand already, electrolytes full steam ahead!
We see so many popular athletes advertising Gatorade and other sports drinks that we assume they’re the best option for electrolyte replenishment after a hard workout. But the truth is, as with many packaged goods, that we can do far better with a few ingredients from our pantries!
Microbes are the oldest life form on this planet. They can be found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and indeed inside our own bodies. Check out how food-hackers are changing the flavor of coffee with these tiny organisms!
Chasing the high of another chili pepper? Ever wonder what makes us crave spicy food? The neurological science behind the pain in your tongue is fascinating, catch it all here!
Chili Peppers are not unique to one country or culture. Evidence of their cultivation dates back to 4,000 BC. But the love of hot foods is exclusive to humans. The rest of the animals on this planet either lack the neurological receptors to register hot food or they avoid peppers altogether, lumping them in with other poisonous plants. Why do we love them so much then?!
I miss many things about NYC, primary among those cravings are my local jerk joint. The well-known neighborhood favorite is The Islands, but for my tastes Fever Grass takes the gold medal (never mind that their storefront was directly across from the crimson entryway to my apartment building).
Soap has played incredible an incredible role in the development of both modern society and our species. When you buy it at the store it tends to be filled w...
