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Teacher Classroom Resources
Information on this year's speakers to be used by high school teachers will be posted on this site in May 2025.
| Serge Ahmed |
University of Bordeaux Addiction researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) |
| Article: "Is Sugar More Addictive Than Cocaine?" |
The article explores the idea that sugar may have addictive properties comparable to drugs like cocaine. It reviews scientific studies on how sugar affects the brain's reward system, particularly the release of dopamine. The research suggests that sugar can lead to compulsive consumption patterns, similar to drug addiction and that it may even be more rewarding than cocaine in some animal studies. However, the paper also discusses the complexity of addiction and how factors like environment, genetics, and behavior influence dependency. While sugar triggers brain responses similar to drugs, the comparison to cocaine remains debated, as food addiction operates differently from drug addiction in humans. |
| Article: "Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward" |
The article explores how certain foods, especially those high in sugar and fat, can activate the brain’s reward system in ways similar to addictive drugs. It explains that consuming these foods triggers dopamine release, leading to cravings and compulsive eating behaviors. Research suggests that, like drug addiction, food addiction may involve changes in brain chemistry that make it harder for people to control their intake. However, the article also notes that food addiction is complex and influenced by factors like genetics and environment. |
| Carolyn Bertozzi |
Stanford University Professor of Chemistry 2022 Chemistry Nobel Prize |
| Article: "Life Is Sweet" | The article highlights Carolyn Bertozzi’s groundbreaking research on glycans—the complex sugars that coat cells—and their role in disease. Her development of bioorthogonal chemistry has revolutionized the study of these sugars, enabling new medical advancements, particularly in cancer and genetic disorder treatments. |
| Video: "Mesmerizing the Immune System: How Sugars on Cells Help Drive Cancer" |
This talk explores how glycans—sugar molecules on cell surfaces—play a crucial role in immune system function and cancer development. Normally, glycans help the immune system distinguish between healthy and harmful cells, but cancer cells manipulate these sugars to evade detection, forming a protective "sugar shield" that prevents immune attacks. Bertozzi’s research focuses on breaking down this shield to make cancer cells more visible to the immune system, potentially leading to new therapies. By targeting glycans, scientists could improve immunotherapy, enhance early cancer detection, and develop new treatments that help the body fight cancer more effectively. |
| Video: "What the Sugar Coating on Your Cells is Trying to Tell You" | A TED Talk, that explains how glycans—sugar molecules on cell surfaces—play a vital role in communication and disease. These sugars help cells interact, signal changes, and even influence immune responses. However, diseases like cancer exploit this system by altering their glycan structures to evade immune detection. Bertozzi’s research focuses on understanding these sugar patterns to develop new ways to detect and treat diseases, particularly cancer. By targeting glycans, scientists could improve early diagnosis and create innovative therapies that help the immune system recognize and attack harmful cells more effectively. |
| Ulbe Bosma |
Vrije Universiteit Professor of History Senior Researcher at the International Institute of Social History Amsterdam Author of "The World of Sugar: How the Sweet Stuff Transformed Our Politics, Health, and Environment over 2,000 Years" |
| Book Review on "The World of Sugar" |
The article reviews Ulbe Bosma’s book “The World of Sugar”, which traces the history of sugar over 2,000 years. It explores how sugar production was deeply tied to slavery, colonialism, and the rise of capitalism, showing how plantations fueled economic systems built on exploitation. The review also highlights the environmental destruction sugar cultivation has caused and its long-term effects on global health through increased consumption. |
| Jean Casimir |
University of Haiti Professor of Humanities Former Haitian ambassador to the United States |
| En-Ming Hsu |
Founder Owner of Sip Pastry World Champion |
| Frank Hu |
Harvard University Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology T.H. Chan School of Public Health |
| Article: "The Sweet Danger of Sugar" | The article discusses the health risks of consuming too much added sugar, which is found in processed foods, sugary drinks, and desserts. While natural sugars in fruits and dairy are part of a healthy diet, added sugars contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Research links high sugar intake to fat buildup in the liver, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and chronic inflammation, all of which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. |
| Video: "Saturated Fat: Compared to What?" |
The video discusses the health impact of saturated fats and emphasizes that their effects depend on what nutrients replace them in the diet. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats, can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, replacing them with refined carbohydrates, including sugar, does not offer the same health benefits and may even be harmful. Dr. Hu stresses the importance of a balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, to promote overall cardiovascular health and reduce the risks associated with both saturated fat and sugar intake. |
| C. Ford Runge |
University of Minnesota Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Applied Economics and Law |
| Article: "Young Adults' Responses to Alternative Messages Describing a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Price Increase" | A study conducted at a large US Midwestern university delves into how different ways of justifying a price increase on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) can shape young adults' purchasing decisions and their perceptions of soda companies. By offering various rationales—such as framing the price hike as a user fee, a strategy to reduce obesity, a means to offset healthcare costs, or a protective measure for children—the study found that these messages significantly influenced participants' intentions to buy SSBs. Interestingly, these effects were more pronounced among individuals who consumed fewer sugary drinks, and the way soda companies were perceived also shifted based on the rationale presented. |
| Article: "The Soda Solution" |
This article examines the use of taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) as a way to reduce obesity. It highlights examples from places like Mexico, Berkeley, and Philadelphia, where such taxes have been implemented to decrease consumption and generate revenue for public health initiatives. The article suggests that, when effectively applied, these taxes can significantly reduce SSB consumption. |
Additional Lesson Plans and Resources
Websites and Lesson Plans
Video: Sugar-- The Elephant in the Kitchen
Video: How Sugar Enslaved the World
Various Podcast Episodes
More Information
Check out this Nobel Conference Resources site for additional recourse compiled for the Nobel Conference audience related to this year's topic.