Can the sense of taste be proven to one who lacks it?

[n9newunsixx5150]

On another message board the topic completely strayed into a debate as to whether or not the sense of taste can be proven to someone who lacks the sense of taste.

The other party came up with a hypothetical experiment. They said we can take a group of people and blindfold them. Then we can have them try different foods. The man without taste will know what foods are what and will see how the blindfolded people all choose the food they are asked to choose. (this is assuming, of course, that every type of food is of the same consistency, temperature, etc.) This would be a plausible argument, but...

*Taste is dependent on smell*. Therefore, how do we determine whether it is by taste or by smell that the people know which is the correct food? Obviously, we can't inhibit the sense of smell, for that would inhibit taste. Nor, without proving the existence of taste, first of all, can we prove that a relationship exists between smell and taste.

So is there any other way to irrefutably prove the sense of taste?

 

[TOKZTLI]

I know smell and taste are linked but how can you explain why some people eat fugly smelling cheese and say it tastes good?

 

[n9newunsixx5150]

Well, that is personal preference.

The argument is that if you can't smell at all, you can't taste. So how can it be proven that taste exists to someone who hasn't the ability?

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the reason you cannot taste if cannot smell, is because the nerves are connected?

How do you prove sight to people who do not have the ability?

You cannot truly prove any of these senses to a person who has always lacked them; they can only trust you by explaining to them using their other senses.

For example, you can describe things to a blind man by using his sense of touch. Place something hot in his hand and say this is like the color red; place something cool in his hand tell him this is like the color blue. Of course, if he was born blind he will not have a mental image of what red and blue look like, but by using his other senses he can get an understanding of what they are.

The same can be used for the other senses, such as taste & smell.

 

[TOKZTLI]

Would you hold a flower to someone and say this smells nice. Then fart in their face and say this smells bad. If they can't smell, they can't smell.

 

[JoMoDo]

^^^lol
clowning! that's f**kin' hilarious

 

[HERESY]

YOU GUYS SHOULD TALK TO CANCER PATIENTS. MY SISTER RECENTLY LOST HER TASTE BUDS/SENSE OF TASTE DUE TO THERAPY AND MEDS. HER TASTE BUDS HAVE BEEN COMING BACK SLOWLY NOW BUT SHE COULDNT TASTE ANYTHING. WHEN SHE COULD TASTE SHE WOULD TASTE EACH ELEMENT/INGREDIENT SEPERATELY. WHEN SHE DID TASTE IT THE SENSATION WOULD LAST FOR A FEW SECONDS.


ASK WHITE DEVIL IF HE HAS ENCOUNTERED THIS.



:HGK:

 

[L Mac-a-docious]

For a taste test you could use salt and sugar, granulated to the same consistency. They are odorless.