Radiolab
The Sweetest Thing
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- Sweetness is measured scientifically through different compounds and receptors, with some sweeteners being millions of times sweeter than sugar.
- Our perception of sweetness can be manipulated by sensory inputs like color, smell, and sound, indicating that taste is as much about the brain as it is about the chemical in our mouth.
- The pursuit of the 'sweetest' involves not only chemical engineering but also understanding how the brain perceives and interprets sweetness, potentially leading to future technologies that can induce or alter taste experiences.
- Sugar and sweetness have deep evolutionary roots, linked to survival mechanisms like energy intake and nourishment from mother's milk.
- Extremely sweet substances exist in the universe, such as sugars in space clouds, suggesting that the fundamental ingredients for sweetness are cosmic in scale.
- Artificial and enhanced perceptions of sweetness raise questions about the nature of pleasure, ethics, and how technology might redefine our sensory experiences in the future.
Summary
Introduction and Call for Support
Molly Webster introduces the episode and makes a heartfelt appeal for listener support through the Radio Lab membership program, highlighting the show's independence and the perks of joining such as exclusive content and merchandise.
The Quest to Find the Sweetest Thing
Latif Nasser shares his story about a family road trip where his children, curious about the meaning of 'the sweetest thing,' prompted him to explore this question scientifically and philosophically. This journey reveals the complexity of sweetness, how human perception works, and sets the stage for a scientific investigation into the nature of sweetness and taste.
Scientific Exploration of Sweetness
Scientists like biochemist Eric Walters explain how sweetness is measured and ranked using different sweeteners from honey to synthetic compounds. The discussion covers the extreme potency of some sweeteners like Lugdenum and Adventame, and the challenge of creating a perfect, non-offensive, super-sweet substance. The episode explores the receptors responsible for sweetness and how they work in the brain, with insights from experts such as Paul Brezzlin and Charles Spence.
Perception of Sweetness and Brain Science
The episode delves into how the brain perceives sweetness, including the influence of smell, sight, and sound. Scientists study how sensory inputs can enhance or alter the perception of sweetness, such as dyeing honey red or playing high-pitched sounds to intensify sweetness perception. Neurobiologist Charles Spence discusses futuristic possibilities like electrical stimulation to artificially induce sweetness, raising ethical questions about the nature of pleasure.
Extraterrestrial and Space Perspectives on Sweetness
The investigation extends beyond Earth, highlighting research that found a sugar molecule in a cloud in space, suggesting the universe may contain ingredients for sweetness. This section ponders whether extraterrestrial life could have a natural affinity for sugars, ending on a speculative note about space raspberries and the universal nature of sugars.
Conclusion and Reflections on Taste and Experience
Latif reflects on how all perceptions of sweetness are ultimately mediated by the brain, raising philosophical questions about the nature of pleasure and the potential for technological enhancements. The episode concludes with a reminder of the limits and possibilities in understanding and experiencing sweetness, blending science with existential wonder.
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Show notes
“What is the sweetest thing in the world?” After co-host Latif Nasser’s sons ask him this deceptively simple question, he goes on a quest to find it. Is it a West African Katemfe berry? Or an industrial sugar substitute cooked up in a lab? Or an ingredient hiding in plain sight in all of our pantries? A simple mystery that will make you question what sweetness even is, how our tongues (and other body parts you wouldn’t expect) determine what we like, and how far you would go to taste something sweeter than anyone has ever experienced.
Thank you to Latif’s sons for indulging us, to Nicola Twilley and Cynthia Graber at Gastropod, to Anni Laffitte, Nazli Parvizi at Museum of Food and Drink, to food icons Claire Saffitz and Sam Seneveratne who did a live show version of this episode with us at the Tribeca Festival. And thank you to Davy Gardner and his wonderful team of audio folks at the Tribeca Festival.
Thank you to Jialin Deng who composed the song that was our ‘sonic seasoning’. And to Laura Rickman and everyone else at Columbia University’s Mortimer B Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute for hosting us.
And big thanks to experimental psychologist Charles Spence at Oxford, sweetness chemist Grant DuBois, Danielle Reed at Monell Chemical Senses Center, and nutritional scientist Sarah Berry at King’s College London who all talked to us about their research. And Brian Everett of Honest Organic Farms.
And a very special thanks to Sean Oomens, inventor of producer Jess Yung’s favorite candy, nerd gummy clusters
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Latif Nasser
with help from - Jessica Yung, Maria Paz Gutierrez, Jessica Yung, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Natalia Ramirez
Produced by - Jessica Yung
with help from - Mona Madgavkar, Maria Paz Gutierrez, Gabby Santas, and Maia Appleby Melamed
with mixing help from - Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by - Sophie Samiee
and Edited by - Pat Walters
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Videos:
Articles -
- Race to Redesign Sugar (https://zpr.io/VpsMxfPRbxaz) by Nicola Twilley
- The Search for Sweet (https://zpr.io/JmeDkVhrd2dK) by Burkhard Bilger
- How My Trip to Quit Sugar Became A Journey Into Hell (https://zpr.io/ni6xgC38Qmyf) by Caity Wever
- How Much of Our Existence Do We Owe to Sugar? (https://zpr.io/M2py48SxnQAT) by Jackie Flynn Mogensen
- Scientists Find Sugar In Space (https://zpr.io/e94UtUuhPtbT) by Rebecca Dzombak
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