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Something that all synaesthetes have in common is that particular tones or words will always elicit precisely the same colours or tastes. Psychology experiment shapes Which one of these shapes is 'bouba' and which one is 'kiki'?
And Professor Spence thinks he can use this to enhance our experience of flavour.
The concept of sharp- and soft-sounding words was introduced in 1929, when Estonian psychologist Wolfgang Kohler designed an experiment that asked people to choose which of two shapes was named "bouba" and which was "kiki".
The vast majority of people choose kiki for the orange angular shape and bouba for the purple rounded shape.
Professor Spence thinks this strange language can influence our taste buds.
Working with world-renowned chef Heston Blumenthal, he is trying to directly combine an auditory experience into a dish.
"We've been giving people dishes and asking them questions about them, including is that food more of a 'bouba' or a 'kiki'? Or is it a 'maluma' or 'takete'?" he told. Brie and cranberries Brie is "very maluma" whereas cranberries are "very takete"
He said that two of the best examples are brie, which is "very maluma", whereas cranberries are "very takete".
"The idea is that you get people to take part in the experiment by giving them two plates of food, and saying 'one of these is a takete and one is a maluma,' but not tell them which is which until they've eaten it.
The team may also, he says, make up a few new tasty-sounding words for dishes at Mr Blumenthal's restaurant. "We haven't decided which ones to use yet."
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He and his colleagues tested 12 volunteers in trials during which an image flashed up on a screen at a slightly different time to a tone being played.
There were two sets of images: a large and a small black dot, or an angular and a very rounded shape.
The larger dots and more rounded shapes are perceived to "match" the lower-pitched sounds. And this matching and mismatching affected people's performance on the task.
"People are better at discriminating which came first when the sound and shape don't match," explained Professor Spence.
"When the sound and the image didn't match, people found it easier to keep them separate," he said. "Whereas with a congruent pairing - a small dot and a high-pitched sound - the participant's brain seemed to bind them together more."
The team also looked at volunteers' "spatial recognition". They played sounds either the left or right of the image, and discovered that people found it easier to work out which side the sound came from if it did not "match" the image.
It seems our brains may use these synaesthetic associations, says Professor Spence, "to combine all of the different sensory cues that are hitting our receptors at any one time".
"If there are lots of other visual events at the same time, for example, if I'm at a noisy party, how do I know which face goes with which voice?" he asked.
"We can match sights and sounds that come from the same position, or those that happen at the same time, but there are problems with this.
"If you think about thunder and lightning - as things get further away from us, the sound of the thunder gets separated from the visual event of the lightning.
"And if I move my head but not my eyes, or move my eyes but not my head, that's going to introduce some misalignment between my ears and eyes - between hearing and vision.
"So this synaesthetic correspondence is a third thing that the brain can use."
The idea of a particular word "sounding" sharp or soft - is not new. But this is the first time it has been shown to directly affect the perception of "non-synaesthetes".
Ah, a favourite! It has everything I look for. Simplicity in flavours and simple to prepare. This is for serious coffee drinkers who like their coffee black and sugarless. This one is bitter and showcases the familiar flavours of coffee with whiffs of alcohol. You will need: l half a measaure of dark rum l half a mesaure of Southern Comfort l a dash of creme de cacao liquer l a cup of coffee, chilled Shake together all the ingredients and serve in a short tumbler with some ice cubes.
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Cloud 9 cocktail ------------------
The sweetest of the three cocktails, this one holds feminine flavours of clingy sweetness, creaminess and a milkiness that will cling to the back of your throat. You will need: l half a measure of hazelnut liquer l a measure of vodka l half a measure of chocolate syrup l 3 to 4 cups of coffee, chilled l a cup of milk l a cup of ice cubes l 2 tbsp of sugar Blend all the ingredients together, serve in a tall tumbler and top it up with whipped cream.
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Mocha Frappes mocktail -----------------------
I suspect children and those with their sweet tooth still intact will love this one. It has the flavours of childhood melded together. Teeth-chattering sweetness, malty and chocolaty. Alas, the coffee flavours are a little lost but all you need to do is up the coffee dosage! You will need: l 30ml of sugar syrup l 40ml of mocha syrup l 90ml of coffee, chilled l 3 tsp of Horlicks powder l 2 tsp of Milo powder l half a tsp of instant coffee powder Blend it all together and serve in a tall glass. Spray on some whipped cream and drizzle some chocolate sauce on top. Voila!
Yes, I know. It is a rather odd combination, putting apricot into coffee. Admittedly, it is a fine balance but if this balance is disturbed, I suspect it can go seriously wrong. Nevertheless, this one is neither here nor there when it comes to sweetness and coffee strength. It is simply a fun drink, cold and creamy with hints of coffee. You will need: l 3/4 cups of coffee, chilled l half a cup of apricot nectar, concentrated juice l 1/3 cup of milk l half a pint of coffee ice cream Blend slowly the coffee, apricot nectar and milk. Then add the ice cream and blend slowly till smooth and pour into a tall glass.
This one is surprisingly masculine in flavours, despite its feminine appearance. You will need: l half a measure of dark rum l a cup of coffee, hot l whipped cream l 2 tsp sugar Simply mix it all together and end it all with a generous spritz of whipped cream.
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Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend — or a meaningful day
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I may have forgotten to say that I care. I may have failed to open up and share, but though no words have been spoken, my promise of friendship won’t be broken
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Colors may fade, the sun may not shine, the moon may not be bright, heartbeats may stop, lives may pass but our friendship, I’ll treasure ’till the day my heart stops.
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What is a friend? She looks out for you, inspires you, laughs with you, cries with you, understands you, guides you and walks with you. That’s what a friend is.You.
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A friend is like a book that has to be read to appreciate its beauty. As such, you’re one of the finest books ever written. How I wish you could be reprinted
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Weathers are few but spring is good, Animals are many but butterfly is lovely, Flowers are too many but rose is beautiful, Foods are thousands but honey is sweet an Friends are much but u r the best!
Age: 124
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plants are green and earth is blue, why ur so nice to me i want a clue, What ever may be the resone like u , b’coz in world like this, i will never get a friend like you!