Transcript
Isaac. J. (2020, September). Why people fall for misinformation [Video]. TED-Ed.
https://www.ted.com/talks/joseph_isaac_why_people_fall_for_misinformation
00:06
In 1901, David Hänig published a paper that forever changed our understanding of
taste. His research led to what we know today as the taste map: an illustration that
divides the tongue into four separate areas. According to this map, receptors at the tip
of our tongues capture sweetness, bitterness is detected at the tongue’s base, and
along the sides, receptors capture salty and sour sensations. Since its invention, the
taste map has been published in textbooks and newspapers. The only problem with this
map, is that it’s wrong. In fact, it’s not even an accurate representation of what Hänig
originally discovered. The tongue map is a common misconception— something widely
believed but largely incorrect. So where do misconceptions like this come from, and
what makes a fake fact so easy to believe?
01:03
It’s true that the tongue map’s journey begins with David Hänig. As part of his
dissertation at Leipzig University, Hänig analyzed taste sensitivities across the tongue
for the four basic flavors. Using sucrose for sweet, quinine sulfate for bitter, hydrochloric
acid for sour, and salt for salty, Hänig applied these stimuli to compare differences in
taste thresholds across a subject’s tongue. He hoped to better understand the
physiological mechanisms that affected these four flavors, and his data suggested that
sensitivity for each taste did in fact vary across the tongue. The maximum sensation for
sweet was located at the tongue’s tip; bitter flavors were strongest at the back; salt was
strongest in this area, and sour at the middle of the tongue’s sides. But Hänig was
careful to note that every sensation could also be tasted across the tongue, and that the
areas he identified offered very small variations in intensity.
02:06
Like so many misconceptions, the tongue map represents a distortion of its original
source, however the nature of that distortion can vary. Some misconceptions are
comprised of disinformation— false information intentionally designed to mislead
people. But many misconceptions, including the tongue map, center on
misinformation— false or misleading information that results from unintentional
inaccuracy.
02:34
Misinformation is most often shaped by mistakes and human error, but the specific
mistakes that lead to a misconception can be surprisingly varied. In the case of the
tongue map, Hänig’s dissertation was written in German, meaning the paper could only
be understood by readers fluent in German and well versed in Hanig’s small corner of
academia. This kicked off a game of telephone that re-shaped Häing’s research every
time it was shared with outside parties. Less than a decade after his dissertation,
newspapers were falsely insisting that experiments could prove sweetness was
imperceptible on the back of the tongue.
03:15
The second culprit behind the tongue map’s spread were the images that Hänig’s work
inspired. In 1912, a rough version of the map appeared in a newspaper article that
cautiously described some of the mysteries behind taste and smell research. Featuring
clear labels across the tongue, the article’s illustration simplified Hänig’s more-
complicated original diagrams. Variations of this approachable image became
repeatedly cited, often without credit or nuanced consideration for Hänig’s work.
Eventually this image spread to textbooks and classrooms as a purported truth of how
we experience taste.
03:57
But perhaps the factor that most contributed to this misconception was its narrative
simplicity. In many ways, the map complements our desire for clear stories about the
world around us— a quality not always present in the sometimes-messy fields of
science. For example, even the number of tastes we have is more complicated than
Hänig’s work suggests. Umami— also known as savory— is now considered the fifth
basic taste, and many still debate the existence of tastes like fatty, alkaline, metallic,
and water-like.
04:34
Once we hear a good story, it can be difficult to change how we see that information,
even in the face of new evidence. So, next time you see a convenient chart or read a
surprising anecdote, try to maintain a healthy skepticism— because misconceptions can
leave a bitter taste on every part of your tongue.
