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WEEKLY NEWS 4: The Science of M&Ms

What can you learn from an M&M? M&Ms can be a tasty way to practice counting or sorting by color, but Princeton researchers have discovered something new about the shape of M&M’s.

Observing the world around you is the first step in the Scientific Method, and curiosity can have surprising rewards. Paul Chaikin, a physicist, was surprised about his M&Ms when he looked at them in a 55-gallon container. What did he see? Salvatore Torquato, a chemist, helped him to unravel the mystery: M&Ms fit together more compactly than spheres. Previously, scientists thought that spheres fit together more efficiently. Imagine comparing the gumballs in a machine to a bunch of M&Ms in a jar. The M&Ms are actually closer to each other with fewer spaces between them.

This means that the basic unit in packaging and aerospace engineering is not the most efficient. Perhaps we can redesign packaging and streamline airplanes and space shuttles. Paul Chaikin also discovered another benefit: 125 pounds of M&Ms were donated to him!

--Written by Katheryn Troyer

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