Taste

While machines have mastered both sight and sound, the sense of taste has largely remained exclusive to biological organisms. Now, researchers in Beijing have built a graphene oxide “tongue” that doesn’t just detect chemicals, it learns them.

VR is incredibly immersive for sight and sound, touch can be done, and even smell is starting to appear. That just leaves one sense – and whether or not anyone actually wants to taste virtual worlds, a new device is now tackling that final frontier.

So, you know you should cut back on salt, but you don't like the bland taste of low-sodium foods. The Electric Salt Spoon may be just what you need, as it's claimed to boost the salty flavor of foods without actually adding any salt.

Some people feel that their food isn't quite tasty enough unless it had added salt, sugar or MSG. The SpoonTEK spoon offers a healthier alternative, as it reportedly boosts the perceived flavor of foods by harmlessly zapping its user's tastebuds.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have been tinkering away on a robotic chef and developed a machine with an ability to "taste test" food as it goes, making sure the balance of flavors is just the way it should be.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a holiday in which we celebrate the blessings granted by Life, the Universe, and Everything. It may soon be possible to enjoy such a repast as a character in a movie or a video game, aided by a new method for digitally actuating the sense of taste.

Scientists are looking into using a computerized penetrometer to assess the crispness of apples.