Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Ask Dr. Universe food science
University Communications Network > Ask Dr. Universe > food science

Why do we have two intestines? – Dru, 11, Illinois

Dear Dru,

When it comes to intestines, it sure seems like two are better than one.

I asked my friend Franck Carbonero why that is. He’s a microbiologist at Washington State University. He studies the bacteria that live inside the human gut.

He told me that the small intestine and the large intestine do different jobs.

Let’s say you sink your teeth into some pizza. You chew it up and swallow it. All those chewed up bits land in your stomach. They mix with digestive juices and start to break down. The broken-down food and digestive juices together are called chyme. After … » More …

Read More ...

Why does milk cure the spicy feeling in your mouth after you eat something spicy but water doesn't? – Eloise, 10, Minnesota

Dear Eloise,

My work as a science cat has introduced me to human foods—like chips and salsa. I love the spicy taste of salsa, but I always keep a saucer of milk handy.

I talked about why milk calms the spicy feeling with my friend Emily Cukier. She’s a chemistry librarian at Washington State University.

She told me that the spicy feeling comes from something called capsaicin. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper determines how hot it is.

Read More ...

Why do I like buffalo wings and not broccoli? - Joe, 10, New York City, NY

Dear Joe,

You’re not alone—cats don’t like broccoli much either. As a carnivore, I think a nice, meaty buffalo wing sounds great.

But humans are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and meat. They’ve developed a taste for all kinds of things growing and living all over the world. So where do individual people’s preferences come from?

To find out, I visited Carolyn Ross, a professor of Food Science at Washington State University. Like you, she is very curious about why people like the foods they like.

Read More ...