The Rest Is Science How To Drink Lava
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Nov 25, 2025 Is water wet? The hosts dive into this intriguing debate and explore how the minerals in our drinks shape their taste. They discuss how tap water acts like a rock smoothie and the surprising ways local water affects baked goods and beer. Discover the risks of drinking overly pure water and the bizarre fact that yesterday's sewage could become future drinking water. Plus, find out how the Earth's water is distributed and how our bodies are essentially water balloons. Rethink everything you thought you knew about this essential fluid!
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Is Water Itself Wet?
- Wetness can be considered an intermolecular property, so water molecules can 'wet' other water molecules.
- Michael Stevens argues single water molecules are dry but collections of molecules are wet due to surface tension.
Minerals Shape Baking And Taste
- Local mineral content in tap water changes baked goods by altering gluten formation and dough properties.
- Michael Stevens explains companies replicate New York City water chemistry to recreate its baking effects.
Water Leaves A Geological Fingerprint
- Water's isotopic and mineral signature acts like a geological postcode that embeds in bodies and tissues.
- Hannah Fry describes using isotopes to trace human and whale movement by analyzing hair and ear bones.