ESP Biography

How do we taste? Why is sweet 'sweet' and sour, well, 'sour'? In this class we'll delve into the science of taste - how taste buds work and how chemical reactions going on in our mouth get sent to the brain. Along the way we'll eat things, eat things blindfolded, and consume 'miracle berries', which turn your tastebuds upside down and turn sweet to sour, sour to sweet.

The earth is getting warmer. Tropical Glaciers are melting. Species are migrating. The oceans are getting more acidic. But why isn't anyone doing anything about it? What should we do about it? We'll use fun demonstrations and examples to explain the facts behind global warming, debate the controversy and discuss what our next steps as a global society should be.

Vision is our most important and best understood sense. We will explore the basic science behind how we see, and along the way play with optical illusions, tricks of the eye and other exciting games!

Ever wonder what happens when an egg cooks or soda fizzes? Or why those salty tortilla chips go so well with sweet chunky salsas? In a brief two hours we'll survey all things science about all things food, incorporating a mix of lecture, demonstration and hands on experiments (cooking!). We'll cover bits of neuroscience, chemistry and physics when explaining how different foods combine to become a succulent meal and in the end, everyone will end up full, and a certified molecular gastronomist.