Robert L. Wolke
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Robert L. Wolke (; April 2, 1928 – August 29, 2021) was an American chemist, professor emeritus of
chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
at the University of Pittsburgh. He was a food columnist for '' The Washington Post'', and had written multiple books, which aim to explain everyday phenomena in non-technical terms: ''What Einstein Didn't Know: Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions'' contains answers to everyday questions (e.g. "Why do car batteries go dead in winter?" and "Why does warm beer go flat?"), attempting to explain them scientifically but without using technical terms (though it often shows technical terms after their definitions). It also contains bar bets and "Try it" experiments related to the current subject. ''What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions'' is a
nonfiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...
book written by Wolke. It is the sequel to ''What Einstein Didn't Know: Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions''. ''What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained'' provides answers to common food science questions. The book also contains recipes by Wolke's wife,
Marlene Parrish Marlene may refer to: People * Marlene (given name), including a list of people with the name * Marlene (Burmese businesswoman), Nang Kham Noung (born 1991) * Marlene (Japanese singer) (born 1960), a Filipina jazz singer active in Japan Film * ...
. Both the James Beard Foundation and International Association of Culinary Professionals have nominated this book as 2005's best technical or reference book. ''What Einstein Told His Cook 2, The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science'' () is a
nonfiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...
book and sequel to ''What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained''; this book provides answers to common questions related to
kitchen science Molecular gastronomy is the scientific approach of nutrition from primarily the perspective of chemistry. The composition (molecular structure), properties (mass, viscosity, etc) and transformations (chemical reactions, reactant products) of a ...
.


Awards

Wolke won awards such as the American Chemical Society's 2005 James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public, International Association of Culinary Professionals' Bert Greene Award, and the James Beard Foundation's award for the best newspaper column.


Death

Wolke died on August 29, 2021, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 93.


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolke, Robert 1928 births 2021 deaths American food chemists American food writers American science writers Scientists from Pittsburgh James Beard Foundation Award winners University of Pittsburgh faculty Cornell University alumni People from New York City Neurological disease deaths in Pennsylvania Deaths from Alzheimer's disease