Christmas offers plenty of chances to explore science without lab coats or equipment.
Simple food experiments reveal how smell shapes flavour more than taste.
Professor Matthew Cobb from the University of Manchester suggests eating sweets while holding your nose.
Flavour only appears fully once smell is restored, showing how senses combine.
Cracker jokes can test social science, says Sophie Scott of University College London.
People laugh far more in groups than alone, proving laughter is socially driven.
A roast turkey becomes a lesson in anatomy, according to Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh.
Examining bones explains biomechanics better than textbooks, with dinner included.
Chemistry appears in homemade ice cream using salt and ice, explains Andrea Sella of University College London.
Salt lowers freezing points, pulling heat away and solidifying custard quickly.
Maths joins in with pine needles estimating pi, says Kit Yates from the University of Bath.
Festive science, experts agree, works best when curiosity meets fun.
