He blended it with science
Michael Brenner loves good mathematical equations, like the algorithms he uses to accelerate simulations of global pollution. He also loves a good chocolate brownie. But it’s not just the taste of the scrumptious treat that gets his mouth watering. Exploring its ingredients, how it comes together, and what exactly happens to it in the oven make him just as excited. “It’s about the material property of brownies,” said an energetic Brenner, who displayed a numeric graph involving the sugar-to-flour ratio in brownies to a crowd at the Radcliffe Gymnasium on Wednesday during an hour-long presentation. While not a foodie, by his own admission, Brenner is curious about the scientific principles of food. His inquisitive scientific and mathematical mind, combined with a dynamic teaching style, made him ideally suited to help develop Harvard’s megahit class, “Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter.” We realized “we could actually teach science” with food,...