A Tasty T-Day Turkey Riddle. Please solve this for me.

Brining your turkey violates a basic law of science. Help me out with this. 

To explain what I mean, we’ll have to do the “Tasty T-Day Turkey Test”. But first, let’s establish what we know.

Fact #1, in “science-speak”: 

1. Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, in the direction that tends to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides.
2. A Science-to-English Translation:
3. Osmosis is an example of what happens when nature equalizes things out. Check out this classic picture on the left. 
4. The left-hand “U” is filled with salt water, and separated by a little membrane at the bottom. But the left side is saltier than its right side (the amount of salt is represented by the little red dots). 
5. Osmosis makes the salt on the left side balance with the right side by going across the membrane in that direction (see how the dots equalize on the right side?). It also makes water on the right side travel to the left side by moving in THAT direction (see that there is more water on the left U?). 
6. Because of this basic law of science, the “Final State” happens when the concentration of the salt water is the same on both sides.  
7. Fact #2: Brining your turkey makes the most amazingly juicy turkey you’ve ever had! It’s amazing, but Fact #2 also seems to violate Fact #1!
8. 

   To brine a bird, just dissolve about 1 cup of salt per gallon of water. That’s some salty water — it isn’t called BRINE for nothing!

9. So let’s just test whether this whole osmosis theory holds water. 
10. In theory, like in the little tube-tutorial above, the concentration of salt is higher in the water than it is in the turkey meat (by a lot). Thus, the salt should leave the water bath and enter the turkey. At the same time, the water should leave the turkey and enter the bath.  
11. IF that were true …
12. THEN …
13. you would end up with a turkey that is dryer and saltier.
14. However, what you get when you brine the bird is moister meat that isn’t salty at all! 
15. I HAVE to share this with you. In a brilliant book called “What Einstein told his cook”, Dr. Robert Wolke explains brining like this. When talking about the mechanism of osmosis and diffusion during brining he states, “There, by a mechanism that still isn’t completely understood, it increases the protein’s ability to hold water. The result is a seasoned, moister piece of meat.“
16. By a mechanism that still isn’t completely understood! That’s hilarious. In other words, it happens, but we have no idea why it happens. 
17. I wonder if some of my brilliant science friends can help me out here. And, now that we have destroyed your faith in science forever, be sure to brine your turkey this Thanksgiving, and share it with your wonderful family this holiday season!
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For more information: Click here to visit Will Clower’s website.