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oldmanyellsatcloud:

sciencenote:

The researchers used functional MRI techniques and cutting-edge, pattern-based analysis to identify the existence of predictive coding in the olfactory cortex of the brain, where the sense of smell is housed. While it may not be obvious that predictive templates in the olfactory system give modern-day humans a behavioral advantage, Zelano said people often overlook the power of the sense of smell. “If somebody hands you a bottle of milk and asks, ‘Is this milk rotten?’ there may not be any visual clues to help you accurately determine if the milk has spoiled, so you rely on your sense of smell,” Zelano said. “Our study indicated that if your brain can successfully form a template of a rotten milk smell, then you would more accurately determine whether that milk is rotten and therefore you are less likely to get sick. These predictive templates can give us an important advantage.”

Which probably explains why one can ‘trick’ themselves into thinking they’re drinking chocolate milk, as well, most likely.

…Yes, I browse science blogs and tech stuff when depressed by the news. Bite me. 

This also applies to tastes, I was in a science-camp thing when I was a kid that had a pharmacology-geared section, they did a demonstration in it on how colouring plain sugar water and telling people it’s whatever flavour can lead them to believing it actually is that flavour. Or how giving drinks colours that aren’t normally associated with that flavour will make people guess the flavour wrong, like purple orange or green cherry.

That’s why I’m always kind of dubious about those Kool-Aid flavours that change colour in water…