Do We All Scream For Ice Cream?

On today's episode of the pod, we answer the question, "why do things taste different to different people?"

This episode is a bit lighter than our usual content and is a sweet note on which to end 2021!

We discuss the different components involved in taste including the detection of flavors, taste bud structure and function, as well as some determinants of individual taste preferences. We spend some time talking about taste receptor cells and their role in detecting flavors. Next, we describe how the ‘flavor’ we detect is composed of specific combinations of chemicals which activate different taste receptor cells. We talk about sensory capabilities and why some people prefer certain flavors over others. Then we do something a little different-- we utilize some very simple data collection tools and methodologies (both quantitative and qualitative) to demonstrate the diversity in taste preferences. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we did creating it. Happy and healthy holidays from Jess, Andrea, and the entire Unbiased Science team!

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