On November 9, 2025, Scientific American presented an insightful episode of its podcast Science Quickly, where audience members were introduced to the show’s new interim host, Kendra Pierre-Louis. As the regular host Rachel Feltman prepared to go on parental leave until spring 2026, she welcomed Kendra to take over the helm for the coming months. The conversation unfolded as a warm, engaging interview that not only introduced listeners to Kendra’s background and journalistic interests but also dove into a fascinating exploration of food texture, perception, culture, and language—anchored by Kendra’s well-known aversion to mayonnaise.
Kendra Pierre-Louis, a seasoned climate reporter with nearly a decade of experience, began her career working alongside Rachel at Popular Science. Despite her extensive credentials in climate journalism, Kendra is perhaps most famously known for her vehement dislike of mayonnaise, a sentiment she has openly shared and explored through her writing. This personal food aversion has surprisingly provided a unique window into scientific and cultural discussions about why certain foods evoke disgust in some people, revealing layers about human perception and language.
Kendra’s dislike of mayonnaise is deeply ingrained. She recounted a memorable childhood moment on a family road trip, where she discovered a sandwich she had been assured contained no mayonnaise was actually slathered with Miracle Whip. This traumatic revelation cemented her lifelong distaste. But rather than simply dismissing mayo as unpleasant, Kendra embarked on a scientific journey to understand the reasons behind such strong reactions to certain food textures and flavors.
One of the key insights from her research is that food texture plays a crucial role in how we perceive taste and flavor. For example, she highlighted that sour candies often have a rough texture because roughness enhances our perception of sourness. Similarly, the sweetness of ice cream batter is often much higher than one might expect because cold temperatures dull our sensitivity to sweetness, necessitating more sugar to achieve the desired taste. These nuances demonstrate how our sensory experience of food is a complex interplay of taste, texture, temperature, and even cultural expectations.
Kendra also emphasized the limitations of the English language in describing food textures compared to other languages like Mandarin, which have a richer vocabulary for tactile food experiences. This linguistic gap affects how people perceive and communicate about food, contributing to cultural differences in food preferences and acceptance. For instance, many Westerners might find the slippery texture of foods like udon or boba challenging to describe or appreciate, while these textures are highly celebrated in other cultures.
Delving deeper into the psychology of disgust, Kendra explained that disgust is an innate human response, particularly triggered by things that resemble bodily fluids or decay—both of which can signify danger or disease. She humorously noted that mayonnaise’s texture and smell can resemble pus, which could explain why it triggers such a strong aversion in her and others. This visceral reaction is different from simply disliking a flavor; it’s a deep-seated, almost physical repulsion that can shape a person’s food choices and even their emotional responses.
The discussion also touched on how individual preferences for food texture fall into broad categories: “crunchers” who enjoy crispy foods like potato chips; “smooshers” who prefer soft, creamy dishes like pudding or Alfredo sauce; “suckers” who like hard candies that dissolve slowly; and “chewers” who relish foods that require prolonged chewing, such as gummy candies. Kendra identified herself primarily as a “chewer,” which aligns with her general avoidance of soft, creamy textures like mayonnaise and butter. This classification helps explain why certain foods resonate with different people based on their sensory preferences.
Beyond food, Kendra shared insights into her broader journalistic passions. While climate change has been her primary beat, she loves exploring the solutions side of the crisis, focusing on how climate impacts intersect with human stories and innovations. Recently, she has also developed an interest in psychology, particularly in understanding how people normalize harmful behaviors or situations. She referenced social experiments like the Stanford prison experiment to illustrate how ordinary individuals sometimes acquiesce to oppressive systems or fail to resist injustice.
Another intriguing area of Kendra’s curiosity is the psychology of fame—why humans are drawn to famous individuals and the power celebrity holds over society. She pointed out that the dynamics of fame are not just about Hollywood stars but are also present in everyday social structures, such as high school hierarchies, where popularity can confer a kind of localized fame. This exploration