Sometimes it feels like the Internet has the answer to everything. At our fingertips, we have the ability to improve our knowledge or test someone's doubtful "Did you know...?" statement. Our online searches have their limits, though. If we have questions about what is in front of us, the Internet cannot always help. Is this water safe to drink? How much fat is really in this steak? Search engines cannot access these objects, so their answers are limited to averages and tendencies. To get real answers, we must tap into the chemical make-up of our world. The technology to do this exists, but it is limited to immovable pieces of lab kit called near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers. NIR spectrometers work by shining a spectrum of near-infrared light onto objects and analysing the light that bounces back. Say you want to scan an apple. Each substance within the fruit, be it water, sugar, or fibre, will respond to the light in a unique way. The bonds within them will be energised, moving around at specific wavelengths. The spectrometer can detect these wavelengths and then identify what is inside your particular apple. NIR light is also perfectly safe to use, unlike more destructive X-rays or ultraviolet radiation.