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Why Does Swiss Cheese Have Holes? Swiss Researchers Solve Mystery

The holes in Swiss cheese have stumped scientists for nearly a century. Now a team in Switzerland says they've found the holy grail.

Why Does Swiss Cheese Have Holes? Swiss Researchers Solve Mystery

BERN — Researchers in Switzerland say they've finally solved the mystery of why holes form in Swiss cheese. The clue is that Swiss cheese has had fewer holes in recent years because the cow's milk has gotten cleaner, reports the Swiss news agency ATS.

The researchers at Agroscope, a Swiss lab that studies food and agriculture production, dosed samples of Emmental with tiny particles of hay. Based on the amount of hay they inserted, the researchers found they could predict where and how many holes would form in the cheese.

“It’s now possible to get the cheese to open up almost exactly to your liking,” according to Thursday's press release of the findings.

Scientists have long tried to understand why holes formed in Swiss cheese. American researcher William Clark concluded in 1917 that the holes had something to do with carbon dioxide emitted by bacteria in the milk, but was ultimately unable to discern why the holes formed in some places and not others.

In recent years, pasteurization has moved to covered systems rather than open vats. Unwanted bacteria was reduced, but the holes in Swiss cheese also started to disappear.

“In addition to milk, enzymes and bacterial cultures, you need bits of hay,” the researchers conclude. “It’s a good example of how raw, unprocessed milk is still what essentially underlines the character of traditional Swiss cheeses.“

Lead photo: Gerard Lacz Images/VW Pics/ZUMA

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ETHIC

Spain, A Perfect Political Graveyard Of Old Left And Right

If the Left is increasingly fighting to preserve hard-won social victories, and the Right wants change, what does the traditional Left-Right division mean anymore?

Poster of the PSOE ripped off on a wall in Madrid, Spain.

Torn posters of the PSOE for the May 28 elections, in Madrid, Spain.

Víctor Lapuente

-Analysis-

MADRID — It has long been said that the Left is more prone to rifts because its aim is to free people from all forms of exploitation. But now, it is the right which deals with the most infighting. Are they now the ones who want the most change, even if that change is made through cuts?

Take architects for example. Some debate about what to build on an empty plot of land, while others discuss how to preserve a building worn down by time. Finding a solution for the latter seems to be faster. Deciding what to create is harder than deciding what to preserve.

That is why, according to popular wisdom and analysis, the Left experiences more divisions than the Right.

Progressive politicians have a positive goal, while conservatives have a negative one. The Left wants to create a new world, and this opens up endless questions. Do we nationalize banks and certain industries? Do we design a social security system, or a Universal Basic Income? Do we cap prices on certain areas, such as rental housing, or do we let the market take its course and then assist the most affected sectors? The God of progress offers infinite paths.

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