Comments on: How science discovered the supertasters http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 25 May 2013 07:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: ObeyMyBrain http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1642612 ObeyMyBrain Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1642612  Very much the same issues with picky eating with me. I have eaten the same breakfast every day, rice chex for probably 8 years now and only switched to that when I developed horrible stomach pains from the almonds in Honey Nut Cheerios (get the same pains from eating cherries, damn cyanide). I get a great deal of anxiety when going out to eat because it will mean having to pick something that I likely have not eaten before. When Dominoes changed their recipe a few years ago I stopped getting it because it was too peppery. So yeah, I hate food because food hates me. I do wish I could eat more variety.  Very much the same issues with picky eating with me. I have eaten the same breakfast every day, rice chex for probably 8 years now and only switched to that when I developed horrible stomach pains from the almonds in Honey Nut Cheerios (get the same pains from eating cherries, damn cyanide). I get a great deal of anxiety when going out to eat because it will mean having to pick something that I likely have not eaten before. When Dominoes changed their recipe a few years ago I stopped getting it because it was too peppery. So yeah, I hate food because food hates me. I do wish I could eat more variety.

]]> By: Larry Evans http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1642441 Larry Evans Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1642441 I taste many things I touch or smell. Different parts of the tongue tingle or has some different sensation with certain smells than others. If I shake hands with a smoker or a meth head - I can taste it.  I taste many things I touch or smell. Different parts of the tongue tingle or has some different sensation with certain smells than others. If I shake hands with a smoker or a meth head – I can taste it. 

]]> By: Athene G http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1642271 Athene G Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1642271 I agree with ObeyMyBrain, it's not a superpower I really like having.  But, that's because I happen to have one of the common comorbids...  Selective Eating Disorder.  Which basically is "Super picky, but to the point of being downright neurotic".  I used to have panic attacks at the thought of eating peas!  And also, as wiki points out, us supertasters are way more prone to capsacin burn.  I personally can't eat spicy things at all.  I can't even eat things that other people assure me "aren't spicy", because I can feel that heat even if they can't.  Sucks when trying to pick restaurants and everyone wants mexican or sichuan or indian. I agree with ObeyMyBrain, it’s not a superpower I really like having.  But, that’s because I happen to have one of the common comorbids…  Selective Eating Disorder.  Which basically is “Super picky, but to the point of being downright neurotic”.  I used to have panic attacks at the thought of eating peas!  And also, as wiki points out, us supertasters are way more prone to capsacin burn.  I personally can’t eat spicy things at all.  I can’t even eat things that other people assure me “aren’t spicy”, because I can feel that heat even if they can’t.  Sucks when trying to pick restaurants and everyone wants mexican or sichuan or indian.

]]> By: ObeyMyBrain http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1642138 ObeyMyBrain Thu, 31 Jan 2013 06:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1642138 For me it is not a superpower that I would have asked for. I have a very bland diet as I avoid flavorful foods as they are too intense. Although I do wonder how normal tasters perceive "bland food" as even something like plain white rice has flavor to me. The article did leave out the non-tasters. The Wikipedia article says that the population is about 25% non-tasters, 50% medium tasters and 25% super-tasters. For me it is not a superpower that I would have asked for. I have a very bland diet as I avoid flavorful foods as they are too intense. Although I do wonder how normal tasters perceive “bland food” as even something like plain white rice has flavor to me.

The article did leave out the non-tasters. The Wikipedia article says that the population is about 25% non-tasters, 50% medium tasters and 25% super-tasters.

]]> By: Incipient Madness http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1642124 Incipient Madness Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1642124  And mix in some of those of us who can smell asparagus pee.  And mix in some of those of us who can smell asparagus pee.

]]> By: Stefan Jones http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1642042 Stefan Jones Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1642042 They need to breed these people with tetrochromatics to create a race of sensory uber-beings. They need to breed these people with tetrochromatics to create a race of sensory uber-beings.

]]> By: bazzargh http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1641943 bazzargh Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1641943 So the tongue-bump experiment was to lick embossed letters and see if you could recognize them. Supertasters could taste P when the rest of us, thankfully, could not. So the tongue-bump experiment was to lick embossed letters and see if you could recognize them. Supertasters could taste P when the rest of us, thankfully, could not.

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2013/01/30/209727.html#comment-1641911 Brainspore Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209727#comment-1641911 Please allow <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRgEkek-sb8" rel="nofollow">Professors Flansberg and Linnell</a> of TMBG University to explain. Please allow Professors Flansberg and Linnell of TMBG University to explain.

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