The Science of Sweetness

• Report rights infringement
• published: 07 Aug 2013
• views: 425000

Sugar, honey, listen up. Humans love the sweet taste of sweetness, but have you ever wondered why? What's the evolutionary purpose behind our love for sweets? Why can we taste sweet anyway? What are those sugar substitutes really made of? And will this diet cola give me cancer? Hank and SciShow have the answers! Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/artist/52/SciShow -- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Related SciShow Episodes: Junk food: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMsW2oXors8 HFCS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI5bru6Zcv8 Sugar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5zdr0COebw SOURCES http://www.daytonent.com/articles/0706.asp ** http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/dining/21sugar.html?ref=sugar http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=artificial-sweeteners-confound-the-brain ** http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=making-sense-of-taste http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/blogs/healthy-food/types-of-sugar-0921 http://www.npr.org/2011/03/11/134459338/Getting-a-Sense-of-How-We-Taste-Sweetness ** http://www.wisegeek.org/how-do-taste-buds-work.htm http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073 ** http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/artificial-sweetener8.htm * http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/dining/15sweet.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 ** http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-stevia.htm http://www.neotame.com/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-can-an-artificial-swe http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=artificial-sweeteners-confound-the-brain * fat? http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-05/readers-wonder-are-artificial-sweeteners-killing-me http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/why-we-cant-stop-eating-frosting-can http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-02/unusual-suspects-0 * AS making us fat? http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm ** list of substances http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WhatWeDo/History/ProductRegulation/SelectionsFromFDLIUpdateSeriesonFDAHistory/ucm091680.htm http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-cats-cannot-taste-sweets http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/08/12/2980854.htm#.UbeWaufviSo http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/aspartame * http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/business/us-cuts-estimate-of-sugar-intake-of-typical-american.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 * http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2010/02/the-evolution-of-the-sweet-tooth/ * http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030 http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/4/688