not sure why I never thought of this before, but the tongue is not the *main* taste sensor. I only just realized this when I held my breath when I accidently drank an old cup of coffee and tasted nothing. smell seems to be the most important thing when it comes to taste. I mean I get that most people know that holding your breath changes the taste but am I wrong thinking most people think the tongue is used as the main taste sensor. can't tell if I'm retarded or a genius for this observation

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Smell is a large part of taste indeed, olfactory receptors in the back of your nose/throat are what allow you to differentiate tastes. Tongue: this is sweet Nose: this sweet is an apple versus a grape
It’s called retronasal smell. The tongue is actually pretty β€œbad” at tasting. It can only differentiate between some macro / major tastes (sweet, sour, etc.). Other aromas that you taste actually come from the nose β€œsmelling” the molecules going back into your nasal passages through your throat. Its the main reason why sommeliers fear getting a cold / clogged nose 😁
maybe it is. interesting experiment: go around on the street and ask people what is used to taste things. I would suspect 99.999% of people would say tongue.
in the latest fridman pod with the neuralink team they said they have plans to integrate fully into all parts of the brain, and even support multiple neuralinks. seeing in infrared, radio (visual system) I don't see why olfaction wouldn't be a part of it as well. download a smell.
this can happen, e.g. - head trauma, such as car accidents, when the olfactory nerves get ruptured. interestingly, these are the only nerves that can 'reattach' or - common cold. this is usually also not permanent
There's a direct neural link from the nasal cavity right into the brain stem. Neurons that pick up smell, and trigger your reptile brain. Smell is our oldest sense, and the most intimate one. BTW COVID attacked those neurons in a subset of people. That's what led to loss of smell/taste, as those very neural cells were converted to virus 🦠 particles. The five basic tastes (sour/bitter/salty/sweet/umami) are taken up in the mouth, but aroma is all in the nose. Source: lecture on smell at Mainz university, 2022-ish.
Anyone who works on the food industry knows that smell and sight are a huge part of taste. You smell and see your food before you actually put it in your mouth.
or in other words, the process of eating is very complicated. rewarding hormons can not be easily cheated. e.g. during chewing the odor starts going to the nose which tells you want you eat. but only after swallowing when smell goes even more back/up the nose it completes the sensation. only thereafter, the food smells and tasts complete. you can try it by eating chocolate. try to spit it out. its not the same. whine is another good example. this is why the professional tasting of whine looks al strange
wine tasting is so bizarre. sometimes it smells like socks but then is actually good after I drink it. its like a switch gets turned on and my brain approves after gathering more information.
its a common game for kids in central europe. cover the eyes and use a clip to close the nose. give food to try and you will have a lot of fun, as they wont be able to tell. when your kids are young, the older ones might start first ;-)
Scott's avatar
Scott 1 year ago
Retro nasal passageway
Brian's avatar
Brian 1 year ago
You get a real good experience for the difference when you eat popurrΓ­
SimOne's avatar
SimOne 1 year ago
Damn! I guess maybe your other senses are heightened to make up for it? Hopefully!
I don't know if the tongue is the main taste sensor, but I can confirm that you are both retarded and a genius.
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