ENA 'Lip-popping laboratory' concluded on a high note with its fourth episode themed on K-soul food 'gukbap,' opening a new horizon for science variety shows. Crew members such as Kim Poong, Gwedo, Joo Woo-jae, Kim Sang-wook, and Kim Tae-hoon delved into the importance of water and even the human psychology triggered by dopamine under the theme of gukbap, richly delivering intellectual pleasure.
The fourth episode of ENA's pilot variety show 'Lip-popping laboratory' (directed by Song Ga-hee), which aired on the 22nd, began with a question about the future Joo Woo-jae dreamed of, in which meals are solved with pills. Joo Woo-jae argued, "When there is no time, I would rather solve it conveniently with a pill than obsess over taste," but physicist Kim Sang-wook refuted this on scientific grounds. He said the reason meal-replacement pills are realistically impossible is that if one only takes pills, the stomach won't function and will eventually atrophy, and lack of masticatory movement will cause problems in brain activation, threatening survival. The necessity of food intake naturally opened the door to a nationwide conversation about Korea's K-soul food, gukbap.
First, the gukbap mystery that everyone has wondered about at least once was scientifically solved: why eating hot gukbap can feel "refreshing." Cognitive psychologist Kim Tae-hoon presented a scientific view that the heat from gukbap makes the body comfortable, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and the various seasonings stimulate sensory receptors causing sweat secretion, and as this sweat evaporates, a clean feeling arises from a complex action.
But during the program's signature taste formula presentation, Joo Woo-jae sparked controversy with a shocking remark: "This pork bone soup is me." It turned out his logic, saying "gukbap is made by boiling bones, and my nickname is Bone," triggered laughter. Then Kim Sang-wook countered with a scientific taste formula, "the kick of gukbap is H₂O (water)." His reasoning was that making broth is a process that uses water's polarity to extract flavor components. Moreover, water is directly tied to human survival; the shocking fact that the body's water ratio falling below 55% with aging can lead to death was revealed.
The conversation, which had delved into the importance of gukbap and water, expanded into the realm of psychological satisfaction starting from science communicator Gwedo's taste formula, "gukbap is fandom." The point that gukbap's role can be connected to scientific principles added interest. Kim Sang-wook linked this to the recent dopamine debate. He explained that the pleasure hormone dopamine is released at its peak not after obtaining something but just before obtaining it, which is why activities like shopping, gambling, and even watching short-form content can cause addiction. Kim Tae-hoon also resonated by calling dopamine the "more-more-more-more-more hormone" and analyzing its frightening property of preventing humans from being satisfied.
In addition, the interesting principle that glutamic acid condensed by boiling gukbap for a long time is the source of the "umami" that induces the protein intake necessary for survival added further interest. It was explained that through umami, humans evolved to detect the protein among nutrients needed by the body. Furthermore, Joo Woo-jae offered insight analyzing that the reason gukbap became synonymous with eating alone is its psychological comfort and ability to aid concentration. Thus the talk that began with a bowl of gukbap expanded into various topics without pause, creating a deep scientific discussion that encompassed human survival and happiness beyond a simple meal.
The crew of 'Lip-popping laboratory,' which broke down the boundaries between science and gastronomy and opened a new horizon for full-course mukbang talk shows, also expressed strong hopes for regular programming in the pilot's final episode. Kim Sang-wook, who found the program concept combining science and gastronomy itself interesting, showed the strongest conviction, saying, "This will go regular. I don't think it can not go regular when you see it." Gwedo reinforced that confidence by saying, "Prediction is what physics does best." Kim Poong, Joo Woo-jae, and Kim Tae-hoon also cheered, showing passionate enthusiasm for regular programming. In this way, ENA's 'Lip-popping laboratory,' which provided rich fun through the exquisite meeting of gastronomy and knowledge, successfully completed its pilot broadcast after four episodes.<
[Photo] ENA
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