Human Senses 1. Smell and Taste (8 of 21)

Human Senses

Our reaction to foods that make us ill is a basic biological defence mechanism and the effects can be extremely powerful.
This footage of wolves eating a dead sheep was filmed in the 1980's by a team of American scientists.
It 's a startling experiment to test how sheep can be protected from attack by wolves.
The scientists put a pill containing a mild poison in to a piece of mutton wrapped in sheep hide.
Within half an hour of eating the bait the wolves start to vomit.
Several days later and a sheep is put in to the pen with the wolves.
After just one nip at the sheep the wolves back off.
For several months these predators will now be turned off one of their favourite meals.

It made them sick before and they don't want to make the same mistake again.
Just like the wolves when we eat a strong tasting and then we're sick within a few hours, something remarkable happens.
The sight and the smell of the plate is enough to make me feel really very sick l actually feel quite uncomfortable and not particularly secure, sort of er at the prospect of being close up to it.
A taste can be completely transformed so a food we once liked now triggers deep feelings of disgust.
l just cannot touch it.
It disgusts me.
It makes me feel absolutely sick just thinking about it.
My brother, sister and l were presented with a plate of lentils each.
And that was all we were getting.
l wanted to try some authentic er crispy Chinese duck.
We'd drunk quite a lot of different drinks as young men do.
And finally l got ordered a half-pint of this stuff.