Chapter 1
The secret life of the coffee bush
Chapter 2
Bizarre bans and historical hysterics
Chapter 3
Animal assistants and ecological allies
Chapter 4
From bean to brain
Ch 4 · From bean to brain
futura Roasting soft green beans that smell like grass up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit boils internal water to trigger the first crack.
futura The ISSpresso Space Machine
Steel pipes pumping / Four hundred bars / Coffee in the stars
futura Coffee plant chemicals trick your brain into feeling awake without providing actual energy.
Fun Fact
Zero-g cup: The space coffee cup uses sharp interior angles and surface tension to guide the liquid directly to the astronaut's mouth without spilling.
Glossary
caffeine (noun)
A bitter compound found in coffee and tea that stimulates the central nervous system. In the brain, this compound blocks adenosine receptors to prevent drowsiness and increase alertness.
A bitter compound found in coffee and tea that stimulates the central nervous system. In the brain, this compound blocks adenosine receptors to prevent drowsiness and increase alertness.
Quiz
What do raw, unroasted coffee beans smell and look like before they go into the roaster?
Quiz
What physical event occurs inside a coffee bean to cause the loud sound known as the first crack?
Quiz
Why is the original decaffeination process patented by Ludwig Roselius no longer used today?
Quiz
What natural accident led Ludwig Roselius to discover how to make decaffeinated coffee in 1903?