Virtual Reality Cookies

Researchers led by Tajuki Narumi at the University of Tokyo created a cookie-eating simulator that allows users to believe that they’re tasting different flavors, when they’re really only tasting one:

To create the effect, the team branded a plain cookie with a distinct logo that the headset tracks via a built-in camera. An air pump sprays out the smell of the chosen cookie, increasing its concentration as the system “sees” the cookie approaching the wearer’s nose.

Meanwhile, a visual display in the headset shows an image of the chosen cookie, suggesting the correct texture for that flavour.

The combination of smell and visual texture combine to fool the user’s sense of taste into thinking they are eating a flavoured cookie instead of the plain one.

New diet technology! I can believe I'm eating chocolate chip cookies when I'm noshing on seaweed cakes!

Dana, paypal is fine.

Allyson, that blub is made of awesome!

Oh dear. The text of BoingBoing's link to Ted Steven's obit:

He will be transported to the afterlife in a series of tubes.

Dalek cake: [link]

This one can even turn its head. Which is, like, the step right before mutant robot cake self-awareness or something.

eta: Photos of the Dalek cake construction: [link]

Nice. Marianne Gingrich (Newt's ex #2) talked to Esquire: [link]

Re: Newt's hypocrisy: He says it doesn't matter what he does, because what he says is important.

Woohoo Allyson!

I am currently breaking everything I touch and getting really confused.

A supposedly simple task I wanted to get out of the way has exploded into a project of epic proportions. Uhng.

Lois, I think your email's been hacked. See FB message from me.

Hey, is anyone Boston-ish (or formerly so) around? Is there any place I can get crap like this [link] in a store? Without driving? I want cheap but not too cheap...