Can foods without fat or sugar really taste good? Scientists hope to outsmart our taste buds using odors.
At the University of Heidelberg, developmental psychologists are investigating the response of babies to the gestures and facial expressions of adults. During their first year of life, babies’ brains develop at an astonishing pace - and facial expressions play a role. That’s because even very young babies are keen observers of facial expressions, and can draw conclusions based on them.
Our studio guest is the Gabriel Scheidecker of the Free University of Berlin’s Languages of Emotion Cluster of Excellence.
Researchers at the University of Dresden have been investigating the sense of taste in humans. Although our tongues detect only the major flavor groups, our noses have around 350 different kinds of olfactory receptors, which can detect even the tiniest flavor molecules and send the scent signal straight to our brains.
Researchers from Switzerland and Japan have developed a new construction technique to be used in wood houses in Japan. Their wood components help wood homes withstand earthquakes and inhibit the growth of mold, which is a problem in Japan’s subtropical climate. The new wall elements are glued rather than joined by nails, which makes them more flexible.
They also incorporate an insulating layer made of wood that better resists the accumulation of moisture than the materials traditionally used in Japan.
