A mathematician, an engineer and a
psychologist go up to a buffet ... No, it's not the start of a bad joke.
While most of us would dive into the sandwiches without thinking twice, these diners see a groaning table as a welcome opportunity to advance their research.
Look behind the salads, sausage rolls and bite-size pizzas and it turns out that buffets are a microcosm of greed, sexual politics and altruism – a place where our food choices are driven by factors we're often unaware of.
Understand the science and you'll see buffets very differently next time you fill your plate.
Read the whole story at New Scientist.