Did my old science book come from the FUTURE?

[Guinastasia]

sigh (hit submit too soon) I think it’s because she’ll eat anything that’s people food-doesn’t matter what it is. When it comes to cat food though, she’s picky as all hell.

[Kiminy]

@Maus Magill

Another thing they mentioned in the NPR story was that cats could probably taste things that we cannot.

I’ve always believed that “color-blind” animals can see colors we cannot see. Not to mention that they can often smell smells we cannot smell.

Actually, I have the same experiences where I read or hear about a given topic, only to find out about it months or years later through popular news. For example, just before our first child was born 14 years ago, I read an article saying that putting pabies on their tummy greatly increased the risk of SIDS. We used roll-up hand towels to keep our daughter on her side or back when she was asleep, but everyone we knew pretty much poo-pooed the idea.

Three years later, just before our second child was born, this was headline news, and everyone kept telling me over and over that I should make sure he was on his side or his back when he was asleep.

[brickbacon]

@flight

In everything but pure sugar there are many other flavors preent other than sweet. I have a friend who is a food scientist and brought an herb to a party once (no not that kind of herb). When mixed with water and swished in your mouth it would COMPLETELY block all your sweet receptors. Sugar tasted like nothing. It was like eating disolving sand, but candy and other normally sweet things showed a great deal of other flavors, and a surpising amount of sour and bitter that are normally masked.

What is the name of this herb, and where can I buy it?

[Manduck]

@Inigo Montoya

Cats can most certainly taste sweet. Especially if you use the proper glaze.

ducks & runs

I tried making that glaze. I thought it would be just ducky, but it came out too runny.

[Cat_Whisperer]

@Maus Magill

Another thing they mentioned in the NPR story was that cats could probably taste things that we cannot.

Like their asses. Okay, technically I can taste it…

[Unauthorized_Cinnamon]

@jrfranchi

Your name is Inigo Montoya, you ate my cat, prepare to die!

[Crowbar_of_Irony_3]

@AerynSun

FWIW, I found the book on Amazon. Appropriately enough, it’s called The Science Book, by Sara Bonnett Stein.

The book is kewl. And it is full of interesting information - like how the left side of the face looks different from the right, how to play with a toddler, how does electric circuits work and etc. I pick it up from a library before.

[Bewildebeest]

@flight

…I have a friend who is a food scientist and brought an herb to a party once (no not that kind of herb). When mixed with water and swished in your mouth it would COMPLETELY block all your sweet receptors. Sugar tasted like nothing. It was like eating disolving sand, but candy and other normally sweet things showed a great deal of other flavors, and a surpising amount of sour and bitter that are normally masked…

I don’t know what herb that is, but there is a fruit called miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) that makes sour stuff taste sweet.

[Sgt.Pepper]

In googling that sweet blocking herb, it appears that it’s Gymnema Sylvestre, from this site.. Now I’ll have to google more to see if it’s possible to get some. That would be pretty funky to try.

[David_Simmons]

@Draelin

Huh. If cats can’t taste sweet, how does my cat tell the difference between a croissant and a donut and find the one to lick all the sugar off of? He also goes absolutely insane for frosting of any sort.

I’m stymied now. :dubious:

We once had a cat who loved cake. One time my wife forgot and was scraping the cake pan into the garbage bag and the cat was in there head first getting his.

I don’t question their analysis of genes, chromosomes, receptor, etc. but I do question how they know what the cat tastes.

[Cat_Whisperer]

@Bewildebeest

I don’t know what herb that is, but there is a fruit called miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) that makes sour stuff taste sweet.

But why would you do that? Mmmm, sour.

[EvilGhandi]

Mmmm, sour.

Then you would love miracle fruit. It preforms its “miracle” by being so eye-crossingly,sphinter puckering sour that anything you chase it with seems sweet.

[EvilGhandi]

Damn, apparently there are two fruits called “miracle” round these parts. The one Bewildebeest refered to uses a protein to accomplish it’s mircle. Just goes to show kiddies, google first post second.

[Cat_Whisperer]

@EvilGhandi

Mmmm, sour.

Then you would love miracle fruit. It preforms its “miracle” by being so eye-crossingly,sphinter puckering sour that anything you chase it with seems sweet.

Yeah, baby. Bring it on.

[flight]

@Sgt.Pepper

In googling that sweet blocking herb, it appears that it’s Gymnema Sylvestre, from this site.. Now I’ll have to google more to see if it’s possible to get some. That would be pretty funky to try.

Yes, I just got a reply from the friend who introduced me to this, and they confirm that this was the herb. They state:

@My Friend

The sweet blocker herb is Gymnema Sylvestre. It is a woody climbing plant, growing over the tops of high trees in large parts of southern India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and tropical Africa. It was used in India for treatment of diabetes mellitus. Gymnema Sylvestre blocks the sweet receptors when put in the mouth, sweetness is temporarily not perceived. The lack of sweet perception lasts several minutes.

I got it from my on-line class, Foundations of sensory science, taught by Dr. Howard Schutz (University of California, Davis, University Extension).