Why Some People Can Smell Freesia Flowers and Others Can’t
You lean in to smell a bouquet of freesias, expecting the sweet, slightly fruity fragrance everyone’s been raving about, and catch… barely anything. Meanwhile, the person next to you is …
Why Certain People Can Taste Plain Water (and What That Means)
Ask most people what water tastes like, and you’ll get some version of “nothing.” It’s the default flavor against which everything else gets measured. But a smaller group of people …
The Genetic Link Between “Smell Blindness” and Body Odor Detection
Locker rooms, crowded elevators, the inside of an old gym bag: some people walk into these spaces and immediately clock a strong, musky odor, while others genuinely don’t notice a …
Why Some People Love Dark Chocolate and Others Can’t Stand It
Put a bar of 85% dark chocolate on the table, and you’ll get two very different reactions. Some people light up, savoring the deep, slightly bitter richness like it’s the …
Why Sweet Tastes Sweeter to Some People Than Others
Two people take a bite of the exact same dessert. One says it’s perfectly balanced. The other says it’s cloying, almost too sweet to finish. Sugar content hasn’t changed, the …
Why Some People Can’t Smell Their Own Body Odor
You’ve probably had the experience of catching a whiff of someone else’s perfume, laundry detergent, or, less pleasantly, body odor, from across a room, while remaining completely unaware of your …
Why Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to Some People
Put a plate of guacamole in front of a group of friends and you’ll usually get one of two reactions. Most people dig in without a second thought. But at …
Why Some People Think Coriander Seeds Taste Like Soap Too
If you’ve read about why fresh cilantro tastes like soap to some people, you might assume coriander seeds, which come from that exact same plant, would trigger the same reaction. …
The Genetics of Loving (or Hating) Licorice
Few flavors divide a room quite like black licorice. Offer it around and you’ll usually get two extremes: people who genuinely crave that distinctive anise flavor, and people who physically …
The Genetics Behind Why Some People Crave Salt More Than Others
You’ve probably eaten dinner with someone who salts their plate before taking a single bite, treating it almost as a reflex rather than a taste decision. Meanwhile, someone else at …