Pop the question: What is bubble gum made of?

Chew on this: what makes bubble gum bubble gum? No idea? Tune into “Kitchen Matters” to learn the science behind it.
 
“Today it’s time to pop the ultimate question. What is bubble gum made of? And how is bubble gum different from ordinary chewing gum?” says Mingyu Yang, a grad student in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE). 
 
Yang presented the queries in a recent episode of “Kitchen Matters,” a video series written and produced by Yang and fellow DMSE grad students Jacqueline Baidoo, Camille Farruggio, and Miranda Schwacke.
 
The video explores the composition of chewing gum, its flavor and texture, and finally why “you can blow bubbles with some types of gum and not others,” says Ming.
 
“Kitchen Matters” was started in 2020, as pandemic lockdowns kept students studying at home. The goal of the series is to use food and ubiquitous kitchen tools to teach materials science principles. Other episodes examine why chocolate “seizes” during melting, or becomes grainy and difficult to manage; how to control the properties of caramel; and why butter is a solid at room temperature while oil flows as liquid.
 
The team, which also presents at Boston-area science fairs and other events, aligns with the DMSE Graduate Materials Council’s outreach efforts to educate the public about materials science. 
 
Visit the “Kitchen Matters” YouTube channel to learn more.