Survival, satiety, and satisfaction—these were once the sole purposes of human food. With increasing industrialization, however, our diet took on additional political, healing, and self-optimizing functions, and food became a lifestyle product. However, highly processed and mass-produced foods are at odds with environmentally friendly diets. Health aspects are also coming into focus, currently causing contradictory discussions.

Against this backdrop, it is necessary to reflect on the molecular structures of our food and its properties. The lecture presented examples ranging from natural nutrition to plant-based substitute products and cultured meat from a scientific perspective. It is precisely the combination of physics and biochemistry that provides insights into the preparation, enjoyment, and breakdown processes of food in the human body.

Dialog in the Museum 
November 27, 2025

Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Thomas A. Vilgis
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz

Podcast