As a kid, I thought that everything tasted better if I shook it up first. Justice, milk, even sodas, doomed to being flat and tasteless; every drink container that got into my hands was violently taken for a spin. The message that I had seen once on a label saying “shake well before serving,” suddenly applied to everything. I’m just glad my parents never had another child, for fear that I would try the same to it- there is a thin line between playing and shaken baby syndrome. It’s surprising, even a non-carbonated drink, if shaken up enough in a sealed container, will generate enough bubbles to generate a reaction similar to if it was carbonated.

Protip: Freeze Mentos in an icecube then wait...

Drinks aren’t the only things that suddenly become better when faced with agitation. I tend to like vending machines, older ones to be specific, because the food drops down to the trapdoor where they meet a cold hard floor where they are soon doomed to be eaten. The newer ones use fancy conveyor belt systems to bring your tasty snack down to rest safely, however it requires an impact with a hard surface before the true flavor is unlocked.  To ensure the best quality, you still have to drop it first.

Don't drop this though.

The same goes for a candy bar bought (or stolen, if that is your preference) off a shelf. It’s like a glow stick. Before you release the hidden magic, it has to be given a little beating. Before I go and make a domestic violence joke here, let me ask you one thing. Doesn’t a candy bar from a vending machine always taste the best?