NOVA scienceNOW S06E04 · Can I Eat That?

Overview

What are the secrets behind your favorite foods? Why are some treats, like chocolate-chip cookies, delectable, while others, like cookies made with mealworms, disgusting? You might think you understand what makes something sweet, salty, or bitter, but David Pogue gets a taste of a much more complicated truth, as he ventures into labs and kitchens where everything from apple pie to Thanksgiving turkey to juicy grasshoppers is diced, sliced, dissected, and put under the microscope. If scientists can uncover exactly what's behind the mouth-watering flavors and textures we take for granted every day, could they help us enjoy our food more—without packing on the pounds?

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. What Makes Us Human?2012-10-10Scientists have struggled for centuries to pinpoint the qualities that separate human beings from the millions of other animal species that have evolved on this planet. David Pogue
2. 2 2. Can Science Stop Crime?2012-10-17What's the secret to stopping crime? David Pogue gives the third degree to scientists pushing the limits of technology, not only to solve horrific murders but also to try to preven
3. 3 3. How Smart Can We Get?2012-10-24How do you get a genius brain? Is it all in your genes? Or is it hard work? Is it possible that everyone’s brain has untapped genius–just waiting for the right circumstances so it
4. 4 4. Can I Eat That?2012-10-31What are the secrets behind your favorite foods? Why are some treats, like chocolate-chip cookies, delectable, while others, like cookies made with mealworms, disgusting? You might
5. 5 5. What Are Animals Thinking?2012-11-07Probe animal morality, the "swarm intelligence" of a beehive, the amazing navigation talents of pigeons, and more.
6. 6 6. What Will the Future Be Like?2012-11-14Meet the people building tomorrow's robots, 3-D virtual environments, mind-reading machines, and more.