In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the American Chemical Society’s YouTube channel “Reactions” has boiled down the science of stuffing your face in a two-and-a-half-minute video. It explains how signals in the brain tell us when we are feeling full or when it is time to stop eating, as well as how antacids reduce the physical discomfort. Might be fodder for conversation after dinner when everyone is sitting around, running out of things to talk about and on the verge of slipping into a food coma.
MORE: Mall Will Fine Stores if They Don’t Open on Thanksgiving
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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com