Please don't get heavy with this one and if it's been on before fair enough. We're supposed to have five senses but have we really only got four?

Parents hold their children's noses if they have to take nasty medicine so they can't taste it. This means that if you can't smell it you can't taste it so where does taste come in? It's only after the parent releases the nose that the child can smell the nasty medicine.

So if I lose my sense of smell then I guess I lose my sense of taste as well but was there one to begin with?

Der!!

Well I am not a Doctor, but am sure a quick Google would clearly illustrate that PART of taste comes from the sense of smell.

Howard awaits more technical info....

If I hold my nose I can't taste anything so perhaps all of taste comes from smell and it's a big con that we have a sense of taste.


Hugh Lloyd, "Are you a doctor then?"

Tony Hancock," Well no. I never really bothered."

Originally posted by Cranberry
If I hold my nose I can't taste anything so perhaps all of taste comes from smell and it's a big con that we have a sense of taste.


The key difference between taste and smell is a chemical one. Taste is 'gustation', or the detection of dissolved chemicals making physical contact with a part of an animal, usually the taste buds. Smell is 'olfaction', the detection of airborn particles.

The detection of the flavour of a food, usually only associated with taste, it actually affected by all the senses. Smell is most prevalent, because the airborne particles tend to cause a stronger reaction than the 'tasted' particles.

Taste is second. As this is the bit that actually takes place using taste buds it is generally considered the most important.

Touch is next - if a piece of food 'feels' nasty it will taste nasty, no matter how much it tastes or smells exactly like a similar, not-nasty-textured piece of food. The only difference between orange juice with bits and orange juice without is the presence of bits, and it's enough to put people off.

Sight comes next; the look of food (e.g. too bloody, too blue, too smashed) affects the brain's perception of flavour.

Finally, last and probably least, hearing. This has very little bearing on your detection of flavour, except that it causes unpleasant sensations if something is, for example, too crunchy (e.g. crackling ... mmmmm).

I have alot of dejavus - sensing through time surely :clap: ! i dont meen the one second memory trip stuff, i can remember when and where i saw it first time!

Originally posted by adaline
I have alot of dejavus - sensing through time surely :clap: ! i dont meen the one second memory trip stuff, i can remember when and where i saw it first time!

OK, you've completely lost me now :)

A deja-vu is when the brain incorrectly files a short term memory to an incorrect place in the long term memory, giving the sensation that it is being 'remembered' when it has, in fact, just been experienced.

If you can remember when and where the first time was, and it is not the same place/circumstance as the current time, then it's just the same thing happening twice, surely? Could you give an example?

Our sense of smell definately has something to do with how things taste. When you have a cold and your nose is all blocked up we cannot taste anything.

Spiffy monkey - thanks for the reply. What you say about sight,smell,touch and hearing all makes sense but each of those works independently. The look of something isn't linked to how it sounds crunchy etc. If I close my eyes none of the other senses replaces that function and I can still smell, touch and hear it.

Still, if I close my nose my sense of smell goes and although 'gustation' is taking place I still can't taste anything - it only starts working again when my nose is open.

I don't know.

Originally posted by spiffymonkey
OK, you've completely lost me now :)

A deja-vu is when the brain incorrectly files a short term memory to an incorrect place in the long term memory, giving the sensation that it is being 'remembered' when it has, in fact, just been experienced.

If you can remember when and where the first time was, and it is not the same place/circumstance as the current time, then it's just the same thing happening twice, surely? Could you give an example?
Almost like having a vision, id be sitting at home watching tv for example, thinking about random things and then my thoughts wud start making things up in my imagination and id see some empty street i never been to before and then a black cat runing across it. Couple months later id be walking in some other city after a night out and gues what i see! That very street wiv the cat runing across :o instead of thinking "i been here before?!?", id think "damn, couple months ago i imagened this while watching tv!" scaaary :suspect:

Originally posted by Cranberry
Still, if I close my nose my sense of smell goes and although 'gustation' is taking place I still can't taste anything - it only starts working again when my nose is open.

Yes, but this is only related to the way the brain perceives the responses from these nerves. When you hold your nose, the brain cannot decide what it tastes like because it doesn't have enough information (sight, touch and sound are very minor when determining flavour) so it doesn't bother. Your tongue is still responding to the taste information, but your brain chooses to ignore it.

Originally posted by adaline
instead of thinking "i been here before?!?", id think "damn, couple months ago i imagened this while watching tv!" scaaary :suspect:

Oh, I see. I know what you mean now; it has happened to me before. I have dreamed of a place then, some time later (weeks, months or years) I go there. However, I just put it down to similarity. The brain has an amazing capacity for matching things together - maybe the place I am in has just enough similarity to the place or situtation I dreamed to make the connection.

As an example, look at these characters:

:
-
)

Just punctuation. If I put them in a line:

: - )

they look like a smiling face. Why? Because they are 'just similar enough' to a real face for your brain to make out the pattern.

A fair few forum posters appear to have an extra sense;

nonsense:hihi:

Originally posted by Longcol
A fair few forum posters appear to have an extra sense;

nonsense:hihi:

It has been said that my ONLY sense is nonsense :)

Woah, steady on! According to the philosophy of Rudolph steiner, it would appear that we have 12 senses, that include things that we fully take for granted like balance, temperature, ego. Want me to go on?

I've seen it all now- philosophy from Hoyland!

Mind you, 'appen next we'll get folk from Dodworth wanting to discuss logical positivism and the tracky bus timetable.

I 'appen to live in Oyland 'cos I found a nice big 'ouse for not much dosh. Sold a flat in London, ker-ching and bought outright. Luverly. Four bed, two bath, big garden, lots o' space. 'Appen.

I have previously lived in Paris (8 yrs), London (10 yrs) and a bit of everywhere for a year whilst travelling, so yes I am not your typical 'Oyland. They tend to stick to the same street round here, moving up to three and four times in a life time.

Originally posted by lizzmobile
Woah, steady on! According to the philosophy of Rudolph steiner, it would appear that we have 12 senses, that include things that we fully take for granted like balance, temperature, ego. Want me to go on?

fascinating book it is too

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1869890752/103-8296294-4238265?v=glance&n=283155

Originally posted by lizzmobile
Woah, steady on! According to the philosophy of Rudolph steiner, it would appear that we have 12 senses, that include things that we fully take for granted like balance, temperature, ego. Want me to go on?

Depending upon who/what you believe human beings could have as many as 21 senses and there are other senses which humans do not have but other species (such as types of fish, birds and bats) do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senses

I think there are a number of senses we feel.... fear,hatred,love,touch,smell,illness,taste,Gas shortages :D ,emotion,dependancy.... I could go on.

That is what makes us Human.

The main sense of course and which is often lacking in todays society is ..common :D

Originally posted by youwhatref
The main sense of course and which is often lacking in todays society is ..common :D

Forgot that one.... well said. :D

Originally posted by spiffymonkey
Oh, I see. I know what you mean now; it has happened to me before. I have dreamed of a place then, some time later (weeks, months or years) I go there. However, I just put it down to similarity. The brain has an amazing capacity for matching things together - maybe the place I am in has just enough similarity to the place or situtation I dreamed to make the connection.

As an example, look at these characters:

:
-
)

Just punctuation. If I put them in a line:

: - )

they look like a smiling face. Why? Because they are 'just similar enough' to a real face for your brain to make out the pattern. could you explain this to me then,please? a few weeks ago i got on supertram with my son,on the way to town i just said out of the blue,im going to see a lady today named xxx
he asked what i meant, i said it was just a thought i had, sure enough while walking towards the market i bumped into the lady,i hadnt seen her for 15 or 16 years :suspect: to add more mystery to it,we had been in argos and were making our way home when my son remembered he needed something else from argos, by turning round and going back thats when i met her.

Originally posted by depoix
could you explain this to me then,please? a few weeks ago i got on supertram with my son,on the way to town i just said out of the blue,im going to see a lady today named xxx
he asked what i meant, i said it was just a thought i had, sure enough while walking towards the market i bumped into the lady,i hadnt seen her for 15 or 16 years :suspect: to add more mystery to it,we had been in argos and were making our way home when my son remembered he needed something else from argos, by turning round and going back thats when i met her.

It is highly probable that something very improbable will happen to you at some point in your life.

Either that or you had seen her already, but only registered her in your subconscience.

Either that or you can predict the future.

Originally posted by Jake01
I think there are a number of senses we feel.... fear,hatred,love,touch,smell,illness,taste,Gas shortages :D ,emotion,dependancy.... I could go on.

That is what makes us Human.
But most of those aren't, strictly speaking, senses; some of them are emotions.

I think when most people talk about senses, they're refering to the special senses of taste, hearing etc - the means by which we 'sense' the external environment. Taken a step further, you can talk about perception, which takes into account how subjective experience can modify or colour external sensation.

Some argue for a sixth sense: psi, which encompasses precognition, telekinesis etc; parapsychological phenomena which can be scientifically investigated. Edinburgh university's Psychology department used to be into investigating this. Not sure if they still are though.

Originally posted by Jillybabes
Our sense of smell definately has something to do with how things taste. When you have a cold and your nose is all blocked up we cannot taste anything.

You reckon? Ok, try this little experiment:

Block your nose using peg, fingers, whatever.

Get a teaspoon of sugar, put it in your mouth, chew, swallow.

Repeat using salt instead of sugar.

You will notice the difference, I guarantee. ;)

Try again using vinegar, then orange peel.

Tastebuds are not very subtle sensors - they detect sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness. The rest of taste is all down to the olfactory sensors.

Don't forget to clean up the vomit at the end of your experiment. :D

Originally posted by TimmyR
It is highly probable that something very improbable will happen to you at some point in your life.

Either that or you had seen her already, but only registered her in your subconscience.

Either that or you can predict the future. i hadnt seen her or had contacted her for years, i told my son i would meet her while i was on the tram half a mile away, if he had not wanted to return to argos we would not have met again after all those years,so was it fate? did my son become part of the equation by wanting to return to a shop we had already visited ?

This was a question on a recent episode of QI and I think Stephen Fry said there where 24 senses so far identified.

My mother has no sense of smell at all, but can still taste food.

My mum hasn't had a sense of smell for over 40years, but she can still 'taste' sweet or salt... but that's all.

Having read all the posts on this long-running thread, I reckon, in general, I have no sense at all:)

(probably get a ban now)

Originally posted by venger
Well I am not a Doctor,


WHAT !?

You told me you was when I paid you for doing that breast enlargement operation.




Oh now I remember, It was just because of all that beer. that I went up 2 cup sizes ! :heyhey: