logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
26m 58s

Focus – How We Taste

The Bertarelli Foundation
About this episode

How do we taste? What evolutionary benefit is there to tasting bitter and sour? And why should you think about wearing noise-cancelling headphones on planes if you want to enjoy your food?   
 
In this Focus episode of How We’re Wired, join producer Dr Eva Higginbotham as she uncovers the neuroscience underpinning taste, from how you can optimise dishes using synergistic umami to a test to discover if you’re a supertaster.  
 
With special thanks to Robert Parks and Barry Smith.  
 
How We’re Wired is a Fresh Air Production for The Bertarelli Foundation. Follow now so you never miss an episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Nov 2023
When We Ask You A Question
What do you want to know about the brain? What mysteries of human behaviour do you want to understand? And what incredible awards has How We're Wired won in the 13th Annual Lovies? In this special episode, Dr Anna Machin shares some good news, and asks a quick favour... Send ques ... Show More
2m 15s
Jul 2023
Finale - How Are We Wired?
How do our brains get wired up in the womb? Why is it important that nerve cells find the correct partners to form connections? And how has our understanding of this vital process changed over the last 40 years? In this special episode, join evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Ma ... Show More
35m 41s
Jul 2023
Introducing... Ocean Matters
How We're Wired season 1's final episode will be with you next week, but in the meantime, why not check out our sister podcast Ocean Matters? Our ocean is the earth's defining feature. But the blue of our blue planet is so much more than just a colour. It is rich with life and pl ... Show More
4m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 12
How Science Can Hack Flavor
Will eating mint cancel out the feeling of spice in your mouth? How do you manipulate aroma compounds to mimic the taste of lemon? When it comes to the science of flavor, there is no shortage of questions to ask. On this episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by renowned flavor ... Show More
30m 20s
Mar 2024
Science Unlocks The Power Of Flavor In ‘Flavorama’
<p>Think about the best meal you’ve ever eaten: Maybe it was in a restaurant in a far-off city, or perhaps it was a home-cooked meal made by someone you love. No matter where or what it was, odds are what made it so memorable was the flavor.</p><p>Flavor is arguably the most impo ... Show More
17m 30s
Jan 2024
Smell and Taste, Part 1: How to be a better coffee taster
So you’ve just taken a sip of a very rare coffee, and flavours of passion fruit explode in your mouth. But here’s the thing: that flavour of passion fruit is not coming from your mouth. It’s not even coming from your nostrils. It’s being picked up behind your eyes! In this first ... Show More
44m 32s
Jan 2025
Going Outside Can Change Our Hormones and Improve Microbiome Diversity
Going outside has many benefits, from positively affecting our nervous system to diversifying our microbiome. But you don’t need a forest preserve to benefit from nature—sometimes even a houseplant or the smell of lavender can improve our life. Kathy Willis, a professor of biodiv ... Show More
18m 11s
Nov 2024
The Taste of Words
11 year old Esther visualises days of the week in a kind of 3D structure. It’s something called ‘synaesthesia’ and she wants to know why it happens - and why other people don’t experience things the way she does. Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain explore the vibrant and varied ways di ... Show More
29m 55s
Nov 2023
Spicing Up Food Science with Storytelling and Travel (S6:E3)
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1609819/open_sms">Send us a text</a></p><p>Jonathan Strum graduated from the NC State Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences 3 years ago.  Since then, he has gone on to broaden his exper ... Show More
30m 7s
Jun 2025
Neuroplasticity - Lisa Wimberger - Mindfulness
Neuroplasticity takes center stage as Lisa Wimberger shares with us in this transformative episode on rewiring the brain for resilience. Lisa, founder of the Neurosculpting Institute, shares her remarkable journey of overcoming vasovagal seizures through a meditation-based practi ... Show More
53m 23s
Sep 2025
How to Harness Your Intuition & The Surprising Science Hidden in Music
It might sound strange, but the way you evaluate your relationship could actually depend on the chair you’re sitting in. Multiple experiments suggest that posture and stance can influence how you judge your marriage or partnership. In the opening segment, I explain this fascinati ... Show More
49m 19s
Sep 2025
Unpacking the Brain’s Role in Inventing Your Perception
Human brains don’t just perceive reality—they invent it. In this episode of Science Quickly, cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Yon speaks with host Rachel Feltman about how perception is an active process of prediction in which the brain constructs theories about the world that can ... Show More
15m 37s