The truth about food – Yuck or yummy? (2005)

John Krebs

What makes some foods delicious while others are disgusting?

Watch time: 38:59
a plate of two fried eggs and two bacon rashers
Image credit: Royal Institution

Lecture 2 – Yuck or yummy?

In this lecture John introduces us to the extraordinary complexity of our sense of taste, and how the role of smell is even more significant. He explains how the brain plays the biggest role in our perception of food, setting expectations, and judging whether what we eat satisfies, exceeds, or fails to meet these expectations entirely.

About the 2005 CHRISTMAS LECTURES

John Krebs’ 2005 series delved into a topic as relevant today as it was then: food. From the food of our evolutionary ancestors to the meals of the future, the lectures explore what food means to humans. What makes food delicious? Why have we evolved to prefer some foods to others? Are we really what we eat, and how concerned should we be about the future of food?