How Come? » food http://www.how-come.net Science Discoveries for the Whole Family Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 How come it’s so hard to break a piece of dry spaghetti in two? http://www.how-come.net/2009/09/28/how-come-its-so-hard-to-break-a-piece-of-dry-spaghetti-in-two/ http://www.how-come.net/2009/09/28/how-come-its-so-hard-to-break-a-piece-of-dry-spaghetti-in-two/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:06:58 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://www.how-come.net/?p=112 How come it’s so hard to break a piece of dry spaghetti in two? Why does it break into more pieces? Also, when you slurp up a strand of cooked spaghetti, why does the pasta sauce fly off? asks a reader.

Spaghetti cooking

Before you is a pile of dry spaghetti. Your job, should [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2009/09/28/how-come-its-so-hard-to-break-a-piece-of-dry-spaghetti-in-two/feed/ 0 How come when you put sugar into boiling water, it fizzes? http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/how-come-when-you-put-sugar-into-boiling-water-it-fizzes/ http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/how-come-when-you-put-sugar-into-boiling-water-it-fizzes/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:49:25 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=87 How come when you put sugar into boiling water, it fizzes? asks Edward Drosse, of Smithtown, NY.

Ever add sugar to a cup of microwaved tea, only to have the tea (startlingly) boil over? Boiling depends on bubbles, and sugar can make hot water more bubbly.

Boiling is evaporation, but fast and furious. We can [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/how-come-when-you-put-sugar-into-boiling-water-it-fizzes/feed/ 0 Why does a falling piece of toast always seem to land on the buttered side? http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/why-does-a-falling-piece-of-toast-always-seem-to-land-on-the-buttered-side/ http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/why-does-a-falling-piece-of-toast-always-seem-to-land-on-the-buttered-side/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:14:44 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=77 Why does a falling piece of toast always seem to land on the buttered side? asks a reader.

It’s the heartbreak of dropped toast. You tip your plate or lose your grip or bump the table. In the blink of an eye, your toast is, well, toast: the buttered side stuck to the floor, its [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/why-does-a-falling-piece-of-toast-always-seem-to-land-on-the-buttered-side/feed/ 0 What is the hot chocolate effect? http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/what-is-the-hot-chocolate-effect/ http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/what-is-the-hot-chocolate-effect/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:02:29 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=74 What is the hot chocolate effect? asks a reader.

Did you ever pour a packet of cocoa mix into a cup of hot water…and notice that the pitch of your spoon striking the cup seemed to rise or lower as the mix dissolved? If so, you’re familiar with the Hot Chocolate Effect. The strangely musical [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2009/08/17/what-is-the-hot-chocolate-effect/feed/ 0 How come when I open a can of mixed nuts, the Brazil nuts are always at the top? http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-come-when-i-open-a-can-of-mixed-nuts-the-brazil-nuts-are-always-at-the-top/ http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-come-when-i-open-a-can-of-mixed-nuts-the-brazil-nuts-are-always-at-the-top/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:44:43 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=35 How come when I open a can of mixed nuts, the Brazil nuts (which I don’t even like) are always at the top? asks a reader.

It’s like a Brazil nut conspiracy. The big, heavy nuts sit like bullying boulders at the top of the can, shoving all the tasty almonds, pecans, cashews, and (not-so-thrilling) [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-come-when-i-open-a-can-of-mixed-nuts-the-brazil-nuts-are-always-at-the-top/feed/ 0 What causes tea to run down the underside of the spout rather than out of the teapot? http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/what-causes-tea-to-run-down-the-underside-of-the-spout-rather-than-out-of-the-teapot/ http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/what-causes-tea-to-run-down-the-underside-of-the-spout-rather-than-out-of-the-teapot/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:40:28 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=33 What causes tea to run down the underside of the spout rather than out of the teapot? asks a reader.

Whether it’s tea ruining a tablecloth or rain rotting a windowsill, scientists call it The Teapot Effect, and still write and publish papers about the annoying phenomenon. Tea seemingly changes its mind about being poured [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/what-causes-tea-to-run-down-the-underside-of-the-spout-rather-than-out-of-the-teapot/feed/ 0 How does ice cream give you brain freeze? http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-does-ice-cream-give-you-brain-freeze/ http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-does-ice-cream-give-you-brain-freeze/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:30:43 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=10 How does ice cream give you brain freeze? asks Anthony Pena, a student in Woodside, NY.Ice cream, milkshakes, snow cones, frozen Cokes—if icy concoctions cause a stabbing or searing pain across your forehead, you’re not alone: Some 40 to 80 percent of people occasionally get “brain freeze” after eating or drinking something frigid. While your [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-does-ice-cream-give-you-brain-freeze/feed/ 0 How come some cereals make a popping sound when you pour on milk? And why do we get white spots on our fingernails? http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-come-some-cereals-make-a-popping-sound-when-you-pour-on-milk-and-why-do-we-get-white-spots-on-our-fingernails/ http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-come-some-cereals-make-a-popping-sound-when-you-pour-on-milk-and-why-do-we-get-white-spots-on-our-fingernails/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:27:59 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=9 How come some cereals make a popping sound when you pour on milk? And why do we get white spots on our fingernails? asks Karen Perez, via email.

While Rice Krispies may be the noisiest cereal, other puffed cereals may also snap, crackle and pop when doused with ice-cold milk. Just as corn is popped [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/how-come-some-cereals-make-a-popping-sound-when-you-pour-on-milk-and-why-do-we-get-white-spots-on-our-fingernails/feed/ 0 Why does ice cream melt? http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/why-does-ice-cream-melt/ http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/why-does-ice-cream-melt/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:22:49 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=7 Why does ice cream melt? asks Kim Price, via email.

Whether premium, low-fat, nonfat, or low-carb, all ice cream melts on a hot summer day, dripping down the cone and onto the front of your shirt.

In melting, ice cream is just behaving like any other bit of frozen, icy matter, suddenly exposed to [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/why-does-ice-cream-melt/feed/ 0 Why is the cashew the only nut you cannot buy in its shell? http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/why-is-the-cashew-the-only-nut-you-cannot-buy-in-its-shell/ http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/why-is-the-cashew-the-only-nut-you-cannot-buy-in-its-shell/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:19:27 +0000 Kathy Wollard http://how-come.net/?p=5 Why is the cashew the only nut you cannot buy in its shell? asks Russell Judge, via email.

Cashews — the nut that sounds like a sneeze — are the oddballs of the nut world.

Think of nuts on a tree, and you might imagine round walnuts hanging on the branches of a black walnut [...]]]> http://www.how-come.net/2007/12/18/why-is-the-cashew-the-only-nut-you-cannot-buy-in-its-shell/feed/ 0