Food, the Brain and Us, Royal Institution Event Film

Food, The Brain and Us: Exploring our historical, cultural and sensory perceptions of food

Tasting food and drinks is a familiar, everyday experience. But how much do we really know about taste?

Barry Smith, Founding Director of the Centre for the Study of the Senses, is joined by a historian, a neuroscientist, an artist and a chef in order to explore the many dimensions of food and taste. Together they reveal how our experience of flavours is shaped not only by taste and smell, but also by our environment, the context of the meal we are eating, and even visual cues such as the shape and colour of our plate. Through this we discover how tastes are developed and acquired and why we like some foods more than others.

The event begins with four short talks by Chris Woolgar, Charles Spence, Caroline Hobkinson and Charles Michel, after which the audience sampled a six course experimental tasting menu for the senses.

The AHRC Science in Culture Theme event was held in partnership with the Royal Institution, an independent charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science and with a mission of encouraging people to think further about the wonders and applications of science.