{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Good Growing","title":"Ep. 272 From Sunlight to Cotton Candy: The Sweet Science of Sugar","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4465,"description":"It's the annual Good Growing Halloween Spooktacular, and this year's costumes are as sweet as the topic. Join Chris the Chloroplast, Emily as Rosie the Riveter, and Ken as Cotton Candy as they take a deep dive into one of the world's most important plant products: sugar.\nThe episode starts at the source with a fascinating look at photosynthesis and how plants transform sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into the sugars that fuel nearly all life on Earth. From glucose and fructose to sucrose, Chris breaks down the science behind how plants create and transport these essential sugars.\nThen Ken explores the surprisingly complex history of sugar production, tracing sugarcane's journey from New Guinea across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Along the way, the hosts discuss the development of sugar beets, the rise of the sugar industry, and some of the difficult historical realities tied to sugar production and global trade.\nThe conversation continues as Emily describes how sugar is extracted from both sugarcane and sugar beets, what happens during refining, the difference between white and brown sugar, and why sugar processing is more complicated than most people realize. The hosts even debate whether growing and processing homemade sugar might be a future gardening experiment.\nOf course, it wouldn't be a Halloween episode without talk of trick-or-treating, favorite candies, candy corn controversies, parent candy taxes, and a Soup Talk segment that veers into a discussion about Cincinnati chili.\nSkip to what you want to know:\n01:21 Who or what did we dress as this year?\n03:01 We dress up every year. Do we enjoy Halloween?                            \n05:29 What is our favorite Halloween candy?                  \n09:06 How is sugar made - in plants? An abridged look at photosynthesis.                      \n20:10 Humans like sugar                          \n23:05 What plants do we use to make processed sugar?                          \n24:13 History of sugar cane.         ...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/xc4SReNXKRjN_Y7N9jxy35n4ic5x1A4QozuI4WJcAVA/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82OTg0/ZDFmZjg4NWEzNmQ4/YjJlYjliNTgyODAw/N2I3Zi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}