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Nicole Garneau: Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes? Scientists have long believed we have just five tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami (or savory). Geneticist Nicole Garneau argues we might be able to taste a sixth — fat.

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Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes?

Heard on TED Radio Hour

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NPR/TED Staff

Nicole Garneau: Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes?

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Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode The Five Senses

About Nicole Garneau's TED Talk

Scientists have long believed we have just five tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami (or savory). Geneticist Nicole Garneau argues we might be able to taste a sixth — fat.

About Nicole Garneau

Dr. Nicole Garneau is a geneticist who is interested in the way a person's DNA affects their ability to taste, and therefore their food choices and diet. She is a curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where she conducts research in an innovative citizen science program.

TED Radio HourTED Radio Hour

Life's biggest questions, explored.