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4 answers · 47 more in the WikiFascinating, Actually
The world is full of strange, surprising and occasionally ridiculous things; stories, science, human behaviour, nature and culture that make you say ‘Wait, really?’
- What is cucina povera?Cucina povera is Italy's "poor kitchen": the resourceful peasant tradition of making good food from little. What it means, what it doesn't, and its dishes.
- What is the difference between discipline and habit?Discipline is choosing the effortful thing on purpose; habit is when a cue triggers the routine with little thought. How they work together, and why it matters.
- Why do the first ten minutes of a run feel so bad?The opening minutes of a run often feel heavy and wheezy, then it eases. What that rough start feels like, and how to make it gentler.
- Why does cacio e pepe sauce go clumpy, and how do you stop it?Cacio e pepe clumps when the cheese gets too hot or the sauce lacks starch. How heat, starch and fine grating decide between silky sauce and stringy lumps.
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47 reference answers →Reference answers on the same ground: checked for facts and sources, less curated than the magazine.
Kitchen science 7
- How do you know which flavours go together?
- Why are cantucci so hard?
- Why do recipes tell you to fry tomato paste first?
- Why does a squeeze of lemon make food taste better?
- Why does garlic burn so fast in the pan?
- Why does pizza dough taste better after a slow rise?
- Why does spinach shrink so much when you cook it?
Food history and culture 3
The body, explained 2
How minds work 12
- Can you learn to be more optimistic?
- Does motivation come before action or after it?
- Does talent matter more than practice?
- How do you become more curious?
- What is flow, and how do you get into it?
- What is the difference between confidence and courage?
- What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
- What is the difference between self-esteem and confidence?
- What is the difference between solitude and loneliness?
- What is the sunk cost fallacy, and how does it keep you stuck?
- Why do people choose to do hard things for fun?
- Why do we put off things we actually want to do?
People and connection 5
Italy, curiously 8
- What did Leonardo da Vinci write in his notebooks?
- What does "Renaissance man" really mean?
- What does dolce far niente really mean?
- What does fare bella figura mean?
- What does sprezzatura mean?
- What does the Italian word arrangiarsi mean?
- What is Luigi Barzini's The Italians about?
- What was the Grand Tour?