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1. Enhancing Informal Stem Learning Through Family Engagement in Cooking

   https://doi.org/10.1142/S2591722621400111  

   Morris, Bradley J.; Zentall, Shannon R.; Murray, Grace; Owens, Whitney (September 2021, Proceedings of the Singapore National Academy of Science)

   Informal learning has the potential to play an important role in helping children develop a life-long interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The goal of this review is to synthesize the evidence regarding the features of effective informal learning, provide effective ways to support learning within these contexts, and illustrate that cooking is an optimal opportunity for informal STEM learning. We review evidence demonstrating that the most effective informal learning activities are authentic, social and collaborative experiences that tap into culturally-relevant practices and knowledge, although there are limitations to each. We propose that cooking provides a context for authentic, culturally-relevant learning opportunities and includes natural supports for learning and engagement. Specifically, cooking provides many opportunities to apply STEM content (e.g., measuring and chemical reactions) to an existing foundation of knowledge about food. Cooking is also a family-based learning opportunity that exists across cultures, allows for in-home mentoring, and requires no specialized materials (beyond those available in most homes). It may help overcome some limitations in informal STEM learning, namely scalability. Finally, cooking provides immediate, tangible (and edible) results, promoting interest and supporting long-term engagement. 

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2. Using Diaries to Probe the Illness Experiences of Adolescent Patients and Parental Caregivers

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376426  

   Hong, Matthew K.; Lakshmi, Udaya; Do, Kimberly; Prahalad, Sampath; Olson, Thomas; Arriaga, Rosa I.; Wilcox, Lauren (April 2020, Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems)

   null (Ed.)

   Adolescents with chronic conditions must work with family caregivers to manage their illness experiences. To explore how technology can support collaborative documentation of these experiences, we designed and distributed a paper diary probe kit in a two-week field deployment with 12 adolescent–parent dyads (24 participants). Three insights emerged from the study that highlight how technology can support shared illness management: 1) provide scaffolds to recognize physical and emotional experiences in the context of daily activities; 2) help families reconstruct patient experiences; and 3) adapt to individual preferences for capturing, representing and sharing experiences. We discuss opportunities for HCI research that follow from these findings and conclude by reflecting on the benefits and limitations of using diary probes with adolescent patients and their parental caregivers. 

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3. A Quick Overview of Robot Cooking

   Wu, Bridget; Jones, Cameron; Ahmad, Ishfaq; Clark, Addison (May 2025, Springer International Publishing AG)

   Ronchieri, Elisabetta; Carbone, John; Then, Patrick; Juric, Rewdmila (Ed.)

   Robotic cooking can alter both home and commercial kitchens by automat-ing and improving a variety of cooking operations. The incorporation of modern technology, such as robot manipulation, computer vision, deep learning, modal sensors, and other machine learning techniques, allows these robots to perform difficult culinary operations with accuracy and consisten-cy. However, several challenges still exist in adapting robotic systems to the diverse tools and techniques used in cooking. Robots need to use a wide ar-ray of kitchen tools designed for humans, such as knives, spatulas, and whisks. This requires not only the ability to grasp and manipulate these tools but also the adaptability to switch between them efficiently and use them correctly in different cooking contexts. This paper reviews the latest devel-opments in robotic cooking platforms, examining their design, performance, and public perception. It also covers various technologies critical for building robotic chefs, categorizing these advancements into need and importance, emerging technologies, different techniques, and future challenges. Further-more, it addresses the technical and practical obstacles that currently hinder their widespread implementation. 

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4. Cooking up STEM: Adding wh-questions to a recipe increases family STEM talk

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2023.101581  

   Morris, Bradley J.; Zhang, Yin; Asaro, Katie; Cason, Jacob; Pollock, Brian; St. Clair, Kristen; Owens, Whitney (July 2023, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology)

   Everyday activities such as cooking a meal are natural opportunities for “challenging” family talk, which promotes cognitive development by prompting explanations and elaborations. Our study investigates a light intervention to increase the frequency of challenging family STEM talk during an everyday activity. Sixty-two families with children (mean age = 9.49) recorded their conversations while popping popcorn using either a standard recipe or a recipe with embedded wh-question prompts (e.g., Why did some kernels not pop?). Conversations were transcribed and coded to measure four qualities of challenging STEM talk: STEM words, STEM explanations, spontaneous questions, and elaborations (or interactive turn-taking). The results demonstrate that families who received wh-question prompts embedded into the recipe produced 3–5 times more instances of challenging STEM talk than families who received no prompts. These results provide evidence for a light intervention that increases family STEM talk through a familiar, everyday activity. 

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5. Dynamics of nanocluster aerosol in the indoor atmosphere during gas cooking

   https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae044  

   Patra, Satya S; Jiang, Jinglin; Ding, Xiaosu; Huang, Chunxu; Reidy, Emily K; Kumar, Vinay; Price, Paige; Keech, Connor; Steiner, Gerhard; Stevens, Philip; et al (February 2024, PNAS Nexus)

   Grassian, Vicki (Ed.)

   Nanocluster aerosol (NCA: particles in the size range of 1–3 nm) are a critically important, yet understudied, class of atmospheric aerosol particles. NCA efficiently deposit in the human respiratory system and can translocate to vital organs. Due to their high surface area-to-mass ratios, NCA are associated with a heightened propensity for bioactivity and toxicity. Despite the human health relevance of NCA, little is known regarding the prevalence of NCA in indoor environments where people spend the majority of their time. In this study, we quantify the formation and transformation of indoor atmospheric NCA down to 1 nm via high-resolution online nanoparticle measurements during propane gas cooking in a residential building. We observed a substantial pool of sub-1.5 nm NCA in the indoor atmosphere during cooking periods, with aerosol number concentrations often dominated by the newly formed NCA. Indoor atmospheric NCA emission factors can reach up to ~10^16 NCA/kg-fuel during propane gas cooking and can exceed those for vehicles with gasoline and diesel engines. Such high emissions of combustion-derived indoor NCA can result in substantial NCA respiratory exposures and dose rates for children and adults, significantly exceeding that for outdoor traffic-associated NCA. Combustion-derived indoor NCA undergo unique size-dependent physical transformations, strongly influenced by particle coagulation and condensation of low-volatility cooking vapors. We show that indoor atmospheric NCA need to be measured directly and cannot be predicted using conventional indoor air pollution markers such as PM2.5 mass concentrations and NOx (NO + NO2) mixing ratios. 

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