Cooking for Geeks, 2nd Edition

POSTSCRIPTHow to Be a Smarter Geek

USING MODELS TO DESCRIBE HOW THE WORLD WORKS IS FASCINATING. This is why so many geeks are drawn to technical disciplines like science and software, which build models to predict outcomes. But there is a difference between models and the world they describe. Applying models without understanding this basic fact leads to errors, and those errors can get you into trouble. Making an argument based on “scientific proof” misses fundamental aspects of the scientific process: models describe precise things, models have errors, and the scientific process is about recognizing those errors and finding better models.

Much of the media is especially guilty of reporting on scientific models without understanding how they work. Economist Paul Krugman once joked about how the media would cover a statement about the sky being green: “Some say the sky is green; others disagree.” We see this in other areas—climate change is undeniable, but there are still research papers that don’t support it. And I see the same issue in food and food science. Food chemistry is an incredibly complicated area, made more confusing by companies seeking a profit, and so the way the general public views it is often at odds with how scientists understand it. The challenge for me is in separating the facts from the opinions.

So how can a smart geek understand and navigate a topic as seemingly simple as cooking? Start by realizing that any model you have about how food works—nutritionally, ...