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JASON SILVA: Stop.
Pay attention.
Imagine you're at your favorite Italian restaurant
and you're feeling pretty hungry.
Which of these two plates of food would you rather have?
Since you're hungry chances are you picked the
one on the left.
Of course some of you might not want to eat that
much so you may have picked the one on the right.
But we've got news for you: no matter which plate you pick
you're going to be consuming the same amount of
calories and have the same heartburn.
But it's not your stomach that's playing a trick on you.
It's your brain.
Hungry to know what's going on?
We'll show you how your everyday eating habits have
little to do with food.
WOMAN: What?
JASON SILVA: And how everything you put in your
mouth has a lot to do with your brain!
It's time to serve up some food for thought...
WOMAN: Yuck.
JASON SILVA: ...on Brain Games.
While we obviously need to eat to live why does it seem
like so many of us live to eat?
I'll have this delicious cheeseburger please.
WAITER: You got it.
JASON SILVA: Thank you.
But for all the talking we do about food and eating chances
are you know a lot less about food than you may think.
For instance when it comes to what you eat your brain is
easily and often influenced by things that have nothing
to do with food at all like in our opening game.
Take another look at these two plates of pasta.
If you were hungry which plate would you pick?
And if you were trying to eat less which plate
would you pick?
Seems pretty obvious doesn't it?
The one on the left has more food than the
one on the right.
But if you look closer you'll see both plates
actually contain the exact same amount.
In this case it's the size of the plates that tricked
your brain into seeing more food on the small plate and
less on the big plate.
In fact using smaller plates to trick your brain into
thinking less is more is a common dieting tip.
But that's just one way your brain can be hacked
when it comes to food.
In today's modern society where you buy all your food in
stores or restaurants what you eat has less to do with what
your body actually needs and more to do with what marketers
can sell to your brain which is why you order this
and end up eating this.
In many respects the food industry is a show being
performed for an audience of one: your brain.
And while the chicken in this fast-food commercial might
get you clucking is it really an accurate depiction of
what you'll be eating?
The real thing might have you crying fowl.
Think the tacos in this mouth-watering ad look
anything like the ones they'll serve you?
We're guessing these sad tacos will have you running
for the border.
Here's the burger they promised you on TV.
Can you guess what's going to end up on your plate?
Right now you're probably wondering how they
get away with it.
In many ways it's because your brain still retains the
image from the ad.
Once the food is actually in your hands you're
no longer really looking at it and the priority shifts to
what it tastes like.
So how do they get that food looking so tasty in their ads?
Well just like in Hollywood where they have wardrobe
designers make-up artists and special effects experts to
make stars look their best the food industry
has food stylists.
Here to explain the secrets of food styling is Rhoda Boone.
RHODA: When it comes to selling food the goal is
always the same: to make someone look at a product
and say "Yes I want that... right now!"
But in order to make your mouth water they first have
to sell it to your eyes.
And that's where I come in.
Alright so I've got a beautiful brioche bun.
You spray it with a little spray adhesive sprinkle it
with some sesame seeds.
Use my tweezers.
I like to use a skewer that's heated up until it's
screaming hot and use a small steamer syringe to
make it look glistening fresh and beautiful.
And a medicine dropper so I can control the flow.
Looks pretty good right?
JASON SILVA: When it comes to the art of selling food
there's a science behind making you hungry and
getting you to buy this when in reality they're going
to serve you this.
Talk about a sad burger.
But styling food isn't the only way that false
advertising can get your mouth watering.
Quick quiz: How many bowls of ketchup mustard and
mayonnaise do you see?
Did you say one ketchup one mustard and two mayos?
Great.
Most people do.
But like them you're wrong.
There's one ketchup one mayo and two mustards.
That's because many varieties of mustard are actually
white and dyed that fun yellow color to differentiate
them from mayo.
And it's no accident that foods are dyed vibrant colors.
But why?
Here to explain more about your brain and how it chooses
your food for you is Susan Carnell professor of
psychology at Johns Hopkins University.
SUSAN: The bright vibrant colors you see in the
supermarket are all part of the allure of making food more
attractive to your brain.
Before any food even enters your mouth and stomach in a
way you've already begun to eat it with your eyes.
JASON SILVA: That's because your brain responds to
eye-catching stimuli.
Your brain's lateral geniculate body and primary
visual cortex are activated when you spot bold
and bright colors.
And in the case of food the bolder and brighter the colors
the more appetizing it appears to your brain.
SUSAN: How food looks is as if not more important than how
the food actually tastes.
In many cases the different brands you see all taste the
same with the same ingredients and the same cooking methods.
All you're really buying is the packaging.
JASON SILVA: To put that theory to the ultimate test
we've created an experiment that's going to
change the way you look at food.
Pay attention.
I'm going to name a food and I want you to picture
what it looks like in your mind.
Ready?
A hotdog.
Is this what you pictured?
Probably.
And if I said a chocolate brownie you'd probably
think of this.
But why is this a brownie and not this?
It's made from the exactly the same ingredients
as a normal square brownie yet for some reason
and I wonder what that is it's nowhere near as
appealing to your brain.
In fact I can't even hold it anymore.
For this next experiment food expert Erik Trinidad has
whipped up several batches of brownies...
ERIK: Free brownies here.
JASON SILVA: ...to see what will or won't
catch peoples' eye.
ERIK: Can I interest you in some brownies?
It's a new recipe I'm trying.
WOMAN: Alright.
JASON SILVA: Erik is telling people he's perfecting
a new brownie mix.
WOMAN: That one's cute.
JASON SILVA: For a bakery he's opened in the area.
ERIK: Take your pick.
JASON SILVA: And even though these brownies come in
lots of different shapes: from a traditional square to
a foot or even one that looks like a
hockey puck all of them are made from the
same ingredients.
Except these brownies which are made with premium
chocolate for an even richer taste.
Will they be able to see past the outer differences
and give the alternative brownies a try?
Let's see how people react to Erik's tasty creations.
RITA: I think I'm gonna go with this one.
MAN: I'm gonna go number 1 traditional.
ERIK: Go for it.
Now is there a reason why you chose the particular
shapes that you chose?
RITA: Well this one was shaped like a fleur de lis.
So it just looked really cute.
ERIK: Right.
SON: The rest of them don't look like brownies.
ERIK: Can I interest you in the number 2?
SON: Nasty!
RITA: That is so not gonna happen.
SON: Go ahead try it.
RITA: No!
ERIK: I'm giving away free samples of my new recipe.
ANIL: What is that?
ERIK: That is a brownie like the rest of them.
ANIL: No that is not a brownie.
That's gross.
JASON SILVA: What about you at home?
Are you turned off by the shape of this brownie?
MAN: No one is gonna want that.
JASON SILVA: Or do you think they're being
a little dramatic?
WOMAN: That is just wrong.
JASON SILVA: After all it's just a brownie!
So why are people willing to eat the ones shaped like
flowers or hockey pucks or even a foot?
Yet they refuse to try this one even after we told them
it's made from premium chocolate!
ERIK: What goes through your head when I
offer you this one?
MARYANNE: I know it's food but my brain is saying
"Don't eat that."
JASON SILVA: And that's the point.
Almost everyone got hung up on the shape of the brownies
except for this brave soul who threw caution to the wind.
WOMAN: Are you gonna kiss me with that mouth?
MAN: Uhuh.
It's really good.
JASON SILVA: Obviously that was a pretty extreme example.
But it proves an interesting point.
Your brain is hardwired to avoid things that would
be harmful for you to eat.
If you came across food that resembles these things
your brain sends out the alarm...
[buzzer].
"Don't eat that," and activates defense mechanisms
like the gag reflex or sudden loss of appetite.
But what about eating things you can't see?
We all know that food contaminated with bacteria
like e. coli can be deadly.
And these tiny microbes are completely invisible to
your brain's sensory radar.
So the question is: what do you when this happens?
Some viewers might live by the old five-second rule:
that is if your food falls on the ground it's still
safe to eat as long as you pick it up within five seconds.
But is it really true?
Or could you be taking your life into your own hands
when you *** that fallen snack off the floor?
To find out let's play a little game.
Take a look at these pairs of foods and see if you can
figure out which one would attract the least amount of
harmful bacteria if it fell on the floor for five seconds.
Some fresh grapes or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Got your answer?
A sticky lollipop or some freshly cooked pasta?
How about a cookie or a scoop of ice cream?
Got your answers?
Let's see if you're right.
Believe it or not that PB&J would attract less
harmful bacteria than the grapes!
Why?
Because the salt in the peanut butter and the sugar
in the jelly actually help deter bacterial growth.
What about this pair?
Even though the lollipop is a little sticky the
cooked pasta has a higher level of moisture in it so
it will attract more contaminants faster.
And as for these two let's just say that the ice cream
was never really a solid contender.
In fact out of all these foods the cookie is
the ultimate champ.
It could be left on the floor even longer than the rest and
still be eaten safely since it's both high in
sugar and very dry.
So the scientific answer to our original question might be
"For foods that are salty sweet or dry the
five-second rule applies."
Of course you may still want to adhere to another old
saying: "When in doubt throw it out."
So while knowing what's safe to eat isn't always easy we've
proven that your brain's pretty good at recognizing
foods that might be bad for you based on appearance alone.
But what if there was a way to trick your brain into
eating something that would normally make
your stomach turn?
ERIK: Would like to try some road kill anyone?
JASON SILVA: Do you think anyone will try
our possum poppers?
WOMAN: What was that?
JASON SILVA: We showed you how most people will avoid
perfectly delicious food if they have any negative
association with it.
And in this next experiment you'll see what happens when
we try to get people to buy food they're not
typically used to eating.
Food expert Erik Trinidad is having trouble selling food
on this rainy day.
But it's not the weather that's the problem.
It's the menu.
ERIK: Would you like to try some roadkill miss?
JASON SILVA: Erik is offering three roadkill dishes:
blackened beaver tail iguana lasagna and possum poppers.
Do you think anyone will take him up on his offer?
ERIK: Would you like to try some roadkill?
Beavertail?
It's delicious.
No?
Ok.
JASON SILVA: Getting people interested is definitely
proving difficult.
ERIK: Sir would you like to try some roadkill today?
MAN: That's really roadkill?
ERIK: It's totally roadkill.
MAN: Get outta here.
ERIK: Iguana lasagna beaver tail and deep fried possum.
JASON SILVA: What about you?
Do you think you'd be brave enough to try?
Most of our participants sure didn't want to!
WOMAN: I'm going to pass.
MAN: Nah... no... I gotta go!
SUSAN: Why do most people have no problem eating cows
or pigs but the thought of eating a dog or
a possum is unthinkable?
It's because your brain has been culturally conditioned to
see certain animals as edible and others as not.
JASON SILVA: So is there anything we can do
to get people to eat at our roadkill café?
For the next part of our experiment let's see if amping
up the aroma and playing the sounds of sizzling
meat can turn up the volume on Erik's sales.
[sizzling meat].
Is the sizzle making you hungry?
[sizzling].
MAN: Smells good in here.
WOMAN: It smells really good.
ERIK: I'm blackening some beaver tail.
Would you like to try a bit?
WOMAN: You wanna try some?
MAN: Sure.
ERIK: It's good right?
WOMAN: Can I take some to go?
JASON SILVA: Just like that we're in business.
MAN: Honey look at this stuff.
ERIK: That's iguana lasagna.
MAN: Iguana lasagna huh?
ERIK: Would you like to try 'em as well?
MAN: Yes please.
Thank you.
JASON SILVA: So what exactly is going on here?
By wafting the smell of the food in your direction the
molecules trigger nerves in your nose to send
signals into your brain.
The hormone ghrelin is then released into the
blood stream which travels back to your brain
and activates your appetite.
So by simply enhancing the sensory experience of the food
suddenly all of these people were happy to eat roadkill!
MAN: That's really good!
JASON SILVA: And they weren't just following their noses;
it was also the sound of sizzling meat that
sealed the deal.
GIRL: I'll do it if you do it.
I'm excited.
JASON SILVA: Whether it's sizzling roadkill or
sizzling bacon your brain reacts the same.
SUSAN: What's happening in the brain when you hear the
sound of sizzling bacon is that a whole range of
reward areas are being activated and this is what
makes us feel hungry.
JASON SILVA: And when we feel hungry we're more
willing to try anything even roadkill!
ERIK: What do you think?
WOMAN: Tastes like chicken.
JASON SILVA: So far we've seen how our brains
tell us what to eat.
But why do our brains sometimes tell us
to eat so much?
Obviously all animals need to eat to survive.
But unlike much of the animal kingdom humans are
one of the few species who tend to overeat.
In America nearly 70% of adults are
considered overweight.
Why is that?
The answer has to do with ancient survival mechanisms in
your brain that reward you with pleasure chemicals
whenever you eat certain fats sugars and starchy foods.
These so-called "comfort foods" trigger your brain's
reward center or nucleus accumbens to release serotonin
and dopamine making for a happier brain.
SUSAN: In other words there's a reason you crave cookies
ice cream or mac and cheese when you're feeling sad.
It's because eating these foods actually makes
you feel better.
WOMAN: Oh!
JASON SILVA: It's just more proof that your brain
simply loves to eat.
In fact your brain is the fattiest organ in your body.
It can be as much as 60% fat.
And while fats in junk food might make your brain happy
other types of good fats like those found in olive oil
avocados and salmon are essential to keeping
your brain healthy.
Now we've certainly given you plenty to chew on
but don't just take our word for it.
For this ultimate taste test experiment we brought in
3 people so confident in their taste buds they make
a living telling other people what to eat.
And now we're going to put their taste buds to the test.
There's just one problem: these food experts are going
to have to identify various foods blindfolded.
BRAD: I'm not worried about it at all.
I eat food all the time.
STACIE: I am extremely good at discerning food.
This will be super easy.
JOSH: For me to identify a few common flavors is a non-issue.
JASON SILVA: They seem pretty sure of themselves.
Think there's anything we can do to shake their
confidence and trick their brains?
JOSH: I don't think I got any of them right?
BRAD: That's embarrassing.
JASON SILVA: We've brought in three food writers
who live and breathe all things culinary.
But we're going to put their taste buds to the test
as we serve up some familiar foods in a very
unfamiliar way.
There are two rounds.
The first one is blindfolded.
And we're going to serve our tasters a series of foods
that should be pretty recognizable.
Even to someone who doesn't eat food for a living.
All they have to do is identify the food without
their use of sight.
Seems easy right?
Let's get started with food number one.
BRAD: I think it's avocado.
[Ding].
JOSH: This is most certainly a mushroom.
[Ding].
STACIE: This tastes like nacho cheese.
[Ding].
Yuck.
BRAD: It is a pickle.
[Ding].
STACIE: Pureed broccoli yup.
JASON SILVA: They nailed it!
5 out of 5.
But we kind of expected that.
After all they're food experts.
For round two we're going to feed them another
series of foods but with one big difference.
We're taking away these super tasters' sense of smell.
JOSH: I can't smell anything.
JASON SILVA: This nose clamp will keep them from being
able to smell the foods.
But will it really affect their ability to taste?
We're about to find out.
First up let's see if our experts can tell that this is
a spoonful of cinnamon.
[coughing].
JOSH: That's like some kind of curry powder or
something like that?
[buzzer].
BRAD: Pepper.
[buzzer].
STACIE: Powdered strawberry milk.
[buzzer].
JASON SILVA: How about BBQ sauce?
JOSH: Pureed apples.
[buzzer].
STACIE: I would think that that's a mayonnaise.
[buzzer].
BRAD: I'm going to say barbecue sauce.
[ding].
JASON SILVA: 5 out of 6 answers wrong so far.
It looks like maybe their tastebuds aren't as fool proof
as they thought.
BRAD: It could be like tofu.
[buzzer].
STACIE: Like hardened Jell-o.
[buzzer].
JOSH: It is a marshmallow.
[buzzer].
JASON SILVA: Next is grape jelly.
STACIE: Cranberry sauce.
[buzzer].
BRAD: Jelly.
[ding].
JOSH: This is pudding.
[buzzer].
STACIE: It seems like overcooked vegetables.
[buzzer].
BRAD: Bacon.
[buzzer].
JASON SILVA: This guy is one of the foremost
meat experts in the country.
He should at least get this one right.
JOSH: Well I'm gonna say that this is spicy
fruit roll up.
[buzzer].
JASON SILVA: Spicy fruit roll up?
This is definitely harder than it looks and
these foodies have just met their match.
What do you think's going on?
How come these supertasters can't tell the
difference between foods they eat all the time?
BRAD: That's embarrassing.
JASON SILVA: When they were blindfolded they guessed
every food correctly.
STACIE: Pureed broccoli yup!
JASON SILVA: All we did for round two was take away
their ability to smell and just like that we had
these food experts totally fooled.
ERIK: Slice of pepperoni.
JOSH: Oy mumza really?
Well it's much harder than I thought.
JASON SILVA: So why did taking away their
sense of smell leave these foodies in the dark?
SUSAN: Taste and smell work in tandem to produce a
perception of flavor when you eat.
If you remove the smell by holding your nose
it doesn't matter how much seasoning you put on it
you won't taste much of anything.
BRAD: I have no idea.
JASON SILVA: Do you think you would have been able
to do as well as they did?
Unlike most shows we encourage you:
do try this at home!
All you need is a blindfold a nose plug and
a friend to help out.
Just don't be surprised when you think this is this.
So when it comes to experiencing food all your
senses are vital.
In other words it's not just what you put in your mouth;
it's what you put in your brain.
So want to learn one simple trick that will change
the taste of your food?
Let's play another game.
Which of these do you think can actually make
your food taste better?
A... Table cloth.
B... Chair.
C... Utensils.
or D... Napkin?
If you said "C" utensils congratulations.
You're right.
According to research the kind of utensil you
use can actually play a part in how food tastes.
For example a white plastic spoon can make food taste more
dense and expensive than using say a metal spoon and
this suggests that the contrast in color and
density can actually alter our perceptions of taste.
Don't believe us?
Try using those plastic utensils next time
you order takeout.
Stick a fork in it!
We're done!