Why don't we eat reptile eggs? — Bella, 7, Arizona
melissamayer
Some people do eat reptile eggs. But humans spent thousands of years domesticating birds until we have today's chickens. Read More ...
Ask Dr. Universe
food
What is the most poisonous thing in the world? – Macmillan, 16, India
melissamayerDear Macmillan,
There are some amazing deadly things out there. Like a frog that oozes poison from its skin. Or a jellyfish that uses itty bitty hooks to inject venom into its prey.
But it turns out the most poisonous thing on Earth is everywhere. It’s in our soil. It’s in our water. It might be in your kitchen.
It’s a species of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum.
I talked about it with my friend Susie Craig. She studies food safety at Washington State University.
She told me that C. botulinum makes the toxin that causes botulism. People can get it by eating … » More …
Read More ...How is ice cream made? - Israel, 7
rcwebberDear Israel,
It just so happens that July is National Ice Cream Month. To celebrate, I decided to whip up some homemade ice cream. You can try it at home, too.
Put milk, sugar and vanilla into a freezer bag and seal it up tight. Fill another gallon freezer bag with ice and rock salt. Place the liquid mix bag inside the bag of ice and give it a good long shake. Some scientists might call this part "agitating." After five minutes or so, you'll notice the liquid mix in your bag becomes solid. Then you can dig in with a spoon.
After making my own homemade tuna-flavored ice cream, I decided to take a trip to the Washington State University Creamery to see how the professionals make ice cream for Ferdinand's Ice Cream Shoppe.
Read More ...Why does milk cure the spicy feeling in your mouth after you eat something spicy but water doesn't? – Eloise, 10, Minnesota
melissamayerDear 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 ...Dr. Universe: Why do we need to eat and drink? -Victoria, 7, MN
rcwebber
Just like a car needs gas to run, food is the body’s fuel. Food gives us energy, or the power to do work. It helps us run, jump, think, and do all kinds of things.
That’s what I found out from my friend Alice Ma, a dietician at Washington State University.
When you take a bite of food it goes down your throat, or esophagus, and down into your stomach. In the stomach and small intestine, things like bile, acid, and enzymes help digest, or break down your food so your body can absorb the parts it needs. Read More ...
Why do I like buffalo wings and not broccoli? - Joe, 10, New York City, NY
jaime.chambersDear 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 ...Why do onions make us cry? -Kera, 5, Lawrenceville, GA
rcwebberDear Kera,
Try as we might, it can be hard to hold back tears while chopping up onions.
Read More ...What exactly is cheese? -Mark, 11
rcwebberDear Mark,
Cheese is delicious. At least, that’s this cat’s professional opinion. For the more scientific answer, I visited the cheese makers here at Washington State University.
Read More ...Why is there iron in my cereal? Is there iron in other food? -Phillip, 11, Pullman, WA
rcwebberDear Phillip,
Iron is found in buildings and skyscrapers. It makes up most of the Earth’s core. It’s even found in the Sun and stars. And yes, it’s also in a bowl of cereal.
Read More ...Why do we get brain freezes -Hannah, 9, Monroe Elementary
rcwebberDear Hannah,
You’re enjoying some ice cream, when suddenly you feel a pain in your head that hurts a whole lot. It’s like it came out of nowhere, and in a matter of seconds, it’s gone.
Read More ...Will I ever like Brussels sprouts? - Susan
rcwebberDear Susan,
Cats aren’t usually big veggie-eaters. But working with humans means that I get to taste all kinds of new delicacies—like Brussels sprouts.
I talked about food preferences with my friend Carolyn Ross. She’s a chemist and food scientist at Washington State University.
She told me that some people are extra sensitive to how foods taste. They’re called supertasters.
“Supertasters actually have more taste buds,” Ross said. “We’ve found that people who are supertasters are particularly sensitive to bitterness.”
Bitterness really strikes at a supertaster’s fungiform papillae. Those are the mushroom-shaped lumps on your tongue that house your taste buds. Because of … » More …
Read More ...Why do bees have stuff that looks like hair? The hair on their legs looks like a real hassle, what with all the crud that sticks to it.*-Elliot
rcwebberThat crud is their food, Elliott. That’s what I learned from Steve Sheppard. He studies bees here at WSU.
Read More ...