The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean Tea Test Tempest
6 snips
Oct 26, 2019 AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
The Tea Test
- Ronald Fisher offered Muriel Bristol tea, but she refused it because he poured milk first.
- She claimed she could taste the difference, leading to a taste test.
Milk Chemistry
- Adding milk to tea isn't the same as adding tea to milk due to the hydrophobic proteins and fats in milk.
- Scalding milk changes the proteins' shape and thus the flavor.
Fisher's Epiphany
- After Bristol correctly identified all eight cups, Fisher calculated the odds of guessing correctly.
- He realized the sample size was too small and more cups would improve the test.