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Comments: 81 +- Science: The Taste Of Space on Tuesday April 21 2009, @01:25PM
Posted
by
samzenpus
on Tuesday April 21 2009, @01:25PM
from the what-wine-does-it-go-with dept.
from the what-wine-does-it-go-with dept.
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space
It turns out that space tastes like raspberries and not Tang or freeze-dried ice cream as one might suspect. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy were searching for evidence of amino acids in space when they found ethyl formate, the chemical used in to make raspberry flavoring. The astronomers used the IRAM telescope in Spain to analyze electromagnetic radiation emitted by a hot and dense region of Sagittarius B2 that surrounds a newborn star. Astronomer Arnaud Belloche said, "It [ethyl formate] does happen to give raspberries their flavour, but there are many other molecules that are needed to make space raspberries."
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I beg to differ (Score:5, Informative)
Space does not have a taste. Sagittarius B2, however, tastes like raspberries.
Re: (Score:2)
I seem to remember a recent article describing the smell of space (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp6/spacechronicles4.html). The senses are completely bombarded with input which our brain ignores, for example the feel of your tongue on your teeth right now, or the weight of your shirt. Remove the background input, and the brain will interpret what is left and reported.
If space can have a smell, it can most certainly have a taste. It just might not be raspberry-flavored in our neck of the Milky W
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Can vacuum have a smell? Might the lack of any matter provide a certain stimulus to our olfactory receptors? Similarly, might a vacuum have a taste?
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Can vacuum have a smell?
I don't know... what does near-instant frostbite of your olfactory epithelium smell like?
Re:I beg to differ (Score:5, Funny)
smells like a typical Canadian winter.
Parent
Re:I beg to differ (Score:4, Informative)
Can vacuum have a smell? Might the lack of any matter provide a certain stimulus to our olfactory receptors? Similarly, might a vacuum have a taste?
Yes. Blood. More specifically, your own.
Parent
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Why would you smell your blood in a vacuum?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
It would probably be the only thing you *could* smell (and taste, likely), as the air rushes out of your sinuses and lungs, past the rupturing blood vessels.
Briefly.
SB
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Morbo voice: Decompression does not work that way! [sciam.com]
If you don't exhale, your lungs burst and rather than blood rushing *out* of your circulatory system, air rushes *in*. Which kills you, of course. If you do exhale, you get to die through a combination of dehydration, freezing, and asphyxiation. Water sublimates in a vacuum. Moisture in your skin, eyes, and mouth goes straight to vapor. The capillaries are permeable, so moisture leaves them too (especially in your lungs), thickening your blood and causi
Re: (Score:2)
Why would you smell your blood in a vacuum?
It would really depend on the pressure your body was in just before being exposed to the vacuum.
Just being in a vacuum by itself would smell like nothing, as there are not enough particles to collect together to signal enough smell receptors at once to trigger a scent.
However rapidly changing pressure is likely to cause blood vessels to rupture, thus tasting your own blood, since among everywhere else too, you will be bleeding into your mouth and sinus cavities.
A lot of people mistakenly think (probably due
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In fact if you were in your space ship at the same pressure as space outside is, you could technically hold your breath and go outside and be OK, at least until the extreme cold causes other bodily functions to fail. The holding your breath part would suck too of course.
Yeah, the holding your breath part might be problematic. If you find a pressure gauge, though, and blow into it, if you can hit ~14psi, you could definitely hold your breath in space.
As for the extreme cold, it's misleading. You're in a vacuum, which is nominally very cold but has incredibly low thermal mass. It's not going to instantly freeze you, and in fact I'm not sure if it could even drain enough heat to stop a human from overheating. Your main concern (assuming that you get oxygen soon enough) will
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Can vacuum have a smell?...
Yeah, and it sucks.
...badum ching!
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The senses are completely bombarded with input which our brain ignores, for example the feel of your tongue on your teeth right now, or the weight of your shirt.
This is off-topic, but from what I remember, isn't autism essentially caused by the inability to tune out these sensory signals (or at least this is one symptom)?
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The senses are completely bombarded with input which our brain ignores, for example the feel of your tongue on your teeth right now, or the weight of your shirt.
Thanks for making me notice these, asshole.
It's Ozone (Score:2)
While I have absolutely no proof, the guy describes the smell as metallic, reminding him of an arc welder. Not only does an arc welder make ozone (UV emission, they'll sunburn and blind you), so would the gasses trapped and frozen in the fabric of his spacesuit being hit by UV. The guy is smelling it as it thaws and is collected in the air lock. It's exactly as he describes it, kind of metallic almost a fresh air smell.
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Space does not have a taste.
Sure it has taste! Sci-fi is known for usually having great music, and most sci-fi takes place in space!
Just look at the "space station docking" scene from "2001"; "Blue Danube" was a powerfully apt choice for that scene! And don't even get me started on Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, and Serenity!
Oh, a taste. Excuse me.
Re:I beg to differ (Score:4, Informative)
And the moon smells like burnt gunpowder [nasa.gov].
Parent
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As long as you continue to pay your air tax...
SB
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Lunar surface dust in a pressurized environment does. I don't remember that anyone has adequately explained it or not, but it's probably due to rapid oxidation of soil particles in an oxygenated environment. (makes sense)
Looking around, I found an interesting link here
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/home/30jan_smellofmoondust.html [nasa.gov]
Another possibility is that moondust "burns" in the lunar lander's oxygen atmosphere. "Oxygen is very reactive," notes Lofgren, "and would readily combine
Smelloscope (Score:5, Funny)
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Only ONE man... (Score:3, Funny)
GOD!
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Lonestar....
Mmmm... Space Raspberries (Score:2)
Perhaps we've finally stumbled upon a use for the ISS - the commercial production of space raspberries for the earth market.
Not only would they be space-agedly tasty, they could be exported fresh, even in winter
What's next? (Score:4, Funny)
In space, nobody can hear the sound of Wooosh!
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Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
The sound of space?
"Hello darkness, my old friend"
LoneStar!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Douglas Adams knew this years ago. Proof [richard-heider.de].
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In other gastronomical news... (Score:5, Funny)
Scientists report Uranus tastes like crap.
Re:In other gastronomical news... (Score:5, Interesting)
No, rattlesnake does NOT taste like chicken!
It tastes like snake. Most snakes taste similar, but not really like chicken. It tastes more like turtle/tortoise than chicken.
I think that idea comes from confusing texture and appearance with taste. Cooked snake is very much like cooked chicken breast in texture and appearance, but not in taste.
If you ever want to try snake for yourself, after 'dressing'* the snake, you need to parboil it. A layer of oil will form in the pot. Yes, this is truly 'snake oil'! Discard the water/snake oil batch, rinse the parboiled snake with fresh water. You do not want any of the snake oil! It is very bitter and strong tasting! Not pleasant at all.**
Now cook the snake in your favorite manner.
One of my favorites is to make a marinade by simmering some diced celery and onions in orange juice for about 10 minutes, let that cool, pour into a roasting pan/dish, add parboiled snake, cover the pan/dish, and roast at 300 F until done.(judge 'doneness' exactly like you would chicken breast) Enjoy!
Here is where the 'tastes like chicken' part comes in...It will look and feel just like cooked chicken breast. It will feel the same while chewing on it. The 'palatability' will make your mind try to convince you it is chicken, but your taste buds will insist that it is different from chicken.
It is a pretty safe bet that if you like chicken breast, you have a better than 50% chance of liking snake.
That recipe also works great for chicken and pork chops!
*dressing means skinning, gutting, and butchering the carcass, no matter which animal you are 'processing'
**this seems to be a characteristic aspect to eating reptiles in general...lizards, you get the picture. Parboil is your friend when preparing reptiles for eating!
There is a reason Special Forces troops are nicknamed "Snake"...it's shortened from "Snake-eater"...for good reason! We've recipes for stuff most USA citizens would never think to eat on their own!
Hint:
If it's not trying to eat you, it's probably food.
If it is trying to eat you, then not only is it food, but that food comes with it's own delivery service!
Yes, make it through 'SpecWar***' training, and you are the top of the food chain. Period.
Cats are prime eating, BTW...all species from domestic 'kitty' to the big cats...lions, tigers, jaguars, ocelots....
Dog is an 'acquired' taste, but always avoid dog liver- toxic to humans!
***'Special Warfare units'== Green Beanies, Black Beanies, SEALs, Force Recon, our U.K. and Aussie**** counterparts, Russia's Spetsnaz, doesn't matter...same-same...pinnacle of the food chain.
**** For the very best experience for partying while on 'stand down'/leave, find a receptive Australian 'SpecWar' party. Those blokes know how to party! Most 'fun' I ever had with my pants on, was partying with Aussie SpecWarriors...EVER! ...I remember you, my friends.
I regret that I have never had the opportunity to stand beside them in battle...I feel certain it would parallel my partying experience with them! Strike Swiftly , and Who Dares Wins
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
I've had many an opportunity to eat rattlesnake - rather common out here.
You are right in that the texture and look are like chicken, if cooked similar.
I've had a different experience with the taste, tho.
Rattlesnake meat doesn't taste like *store-bought* chicken (which doesn't have much taste, anyway). But it does taste a lot like fresh free-range chicken. Not surprising, closer food chain association.
As to the snake oil problem - try barbecue over an open fire on a wood ske
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Cats are prime eating, BTW...all species from domestic 'kitty' to the big cats...lions, tigers, jaguars, ocelots....
Interesting. I'd always heard that predators in general tasted bad; I'd have expected that to go double for obligate carnivores.
(cue up cat's in the kettle [youtube.com]....)
Pirates in Space (Score:2)
Somalia, Brazil, Turnitin... they seem to be everywhere these days.
Space smells of raspberries shows... (Score:3, Funny)
I got your space raspberry right here.... (Score:2)
Set that to Strauss' Blue Danube and suck on it!
LONE STAR! (Score:2, Redundant)
Only one who would DARE give us the raspberry.... (Score:2)
LONE STAR!!! [youtube.com]
Space before raspberries (Score:2)
Therefore, raspberries taste like space.
In other news, the snozzberries taste like snozzberries!
Carefull (Score:2)
Space is cold. Your tongue will get stuck to it.
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Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Just like you shouldn't think that wood alcohol is a viable substitute for grain alcohol. It sounds like it'd be similar, but 10mL's will make you blind and 30 will kill you.
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I am lactose intolerant, you insensitive clod!!!