Okay, so I’m not crazy! I’ve been saying for ages that paper straws are the worst, and now a math professor – seriously, a MATH PROFESSOR – explained why they’re so annoying when you’re trying to enjoy a soda. It’s not just me, there’s actual science behind how frustrating they are! Feels good to be vindicated, honestly.
Though they were actually invented in the 1800s, paper straws have recently become a popular, environmentally friendly choice instead of plastic straws. Interestingly, people have been using straws of some kind for thousands of years – all the way back to 3000 BCE!
Most of us remember the upsetting video of the turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose. However, even though paper straws are much better for the environment, some people don’t like how they feel when drinking.
Professor explains why paper straws make soda taste worse
Paper straws can really ruin a soda. They often cause drinks to fizz up and spill, and they quickly make carbonated beverages like Coca-Cola go flat and lose their flavor.
I saw this really cool explanation on Instagram from Hannah Fry, a math professor who makes content, back on March 4th, 2026. She broke down why this whole thing happens, and it actually made sense!
Soda gets its fizz from carbon dioxide gas dissolved in water. When these combine, they create a weak acid called carbonic acid. This acid isn’t very stable, and even slight imperfections on a surface can cause it to break down, releasing the gas and creating bubbles.
Smooth plastic straws don’t allow bubbles to form easily, but rougher plastic straws have tiny, uneven spots – called ‘nucleation sites’ by scientists – where bubbles quickly appear.
Fry proved this idea by putting a paper straw into a bottle of Coca-Cola, causing it to fizz up right away.
Paper straws aren’t ideal for fizzy drinks because their surface causes bubbles to disappear quickly, leaving your soda flat and lacking the pleasant tingling sensation you expect.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Hannah Fry (@fryrsquared)
Fry compared drinking with a plastic straw to watching something unfold in slow motion, like the Mentos and Coke experiment. He strongly supports environmental efforts like saving turtles, but jokingly pleaded with people to use a metal straw instead of plastic.
The world of soda has been buzzing lately, particularly after a YouTuber gained a lot of attention earlier this year by claiming to have found Coca-Cola’s confidential recipe.
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2026-03-04 23:49