Australian_Science_Illustrated_Issue_52_2017

scienceillustrated.com.au | 43

Scientists from the National University of

Singapore aim to study how taste impressions can

be digitally recreated. So far, the scientists have

managed to isolate five different basic tastes:

salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami, which is

often described as "satisfying meatiness". The

scientists from Singapore have developed a

digital lollipop, which uses the fact that our

taste buds can be activated by electrical

impulses and temperature changes on the

tongue. When test subjects touch a small

thermoelectric element with their tongues,

the device can produce sour, sweet, salty,

and bitter tastes. The test subjects also

experience a very spicy taste at a

temperature of 35 degrees, and a taste of

mint, when the temperature is approximately 18

degrees. According to Nimesha Ranasinghe, who heads

the project, the digital lollipop could one day be used to

taste food virtually over the Internet, before ordering it.

Digital lollipop

lets you taste

over the Internet

Salty potato chips and French fries.

Salt on an egg or in bread, sausages,

bacon, and sliced meat. Salt is

omnipresent in our food, and many

people consider it an indispensable

flavour enhancer. However, too

much salt could harm your health,

causing high blood pressure due to

the sodium of the salt.

Scientists from the University of

Tokyo have created an electric fork,

which can produce a taste of salt in

food via weak electric impulses from

a battery. Ordinary table salt is

sodium chloride – or NaCl. When

NaCl encounters the tongue, it is

dissolved into the ions of Na+ and

Cl-, which are electrically charged

particles. According to recent

research, it is the Na+ ions of the salt

that make the taste buds grasp the

taste, which we consider salty.

Electric fork makes food more salty

ELECTRIC FORK

USE POWER TO

CUT BACK ON SALT

When the electric fork encounters the

tongue, a circuit is made, enabling power to

flow across the tongue. Scientists hope that the

artificial taste of salt can help people with high

blood pressure cut back on salt in their food.

MINOR TEMPERATURE

DIFFERENCES CAUSE

DIFFERENT TASTE

NUANCES.

WEAK ELECTRIC

SHOCKS ON THE

TONGUE PRODUCE

A SALTY TASTE.

Sending small, accurate electric impulses

into the tongue and varying temperatures,

scientists have managed to create digital

versions of four basic tastes.

POWER

HENNING DALHOFF

ENGADGET

NIMESHA RANASINGHE

FOOD HACKING