Soft matter, food and cooking

Have you ever wondered why an egg solidifies at high temperature while most pure substances, like water, do not? Or why materials solely made of liquids can exhibit solid-like properties? Or why adding a tiny amount of certain additives to water dramatically changes the way water flows? This talk will touch on some of these aspects. It will start by discussing what soft condensed matter is and why soft materials are indeed soft. It will then briefly discuss viscous flow, to end introducing the significance of phase transformations in manipulating food. The aim of the talk is to inspire you into thinking about the properties and behavior of food, while illustrating the power of physics for rationalizing some of the fascinating diversity exhibited by the materials we eat.