"Our brain is better at remembering where to find brownies than cherry tomatoes."

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/10/12/our-brain-is-better-at-remembering-where-to-find-brownies-than-cherry-tomatoes.html

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My local grocery store doesn’t move the bakery for pretty obvious reasons, but the cherry tomatoes get moved around a few times a year. That’s the excuse I’m going with right now.

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They were also 243 percent more accurate when presented with actual foods, as opposed to the food scents.

This year I mostly eliminated a lot of the more processed and refined ingredients from my diet, including natural and artificial flavors, and now I’m finally able to notice how lacking in depth added flavors and fragrances are. I imagine that plays a huge role in this particular part of the effect(s) the study is looking at.

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Totally.
A while ago while traveling for work I needed a little energy boost so splurged on a Gatorade. Not exactly a great example for less-processed food, but like you, I typically eat real, whole stuff.
Anyway, I accidentally got the “diet” version and, OMG, the aspartame taste was so gross, I couldn’t even drink it.
Your experience goes to show what we can condition ourselves to expect or accept.

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Danny DeVito voice: “That’s why they call it a BRAIN!”

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Just hide some veggies in the brownies, and problem solved! :yum:

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On that note, I’ve been making flourless avocado brownies (but with coconut sugar) and they’re amazing. Fudgiest brownies I’ve ever made.

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This could be used to explain nearly all issues in our modern world.

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We have created a Star Wars civilization, with Stone Age emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.

— E. O. Wilson

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Wow, that’s brilliant. E. O. Wilson changed my entire worldview in one chapter 20 years ago.

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Holy Guacamole!

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I have a huge sweet tooth, and love brownies, but we started making tomato cobbler a few years ago, and I would devour it before any brownie, every time. Especially with some Sungolds in the mix.

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I’ve made tofu brownies.

Just the regular brownie recipe I use, and add in crumbled tofu. Came out fine, I guess further than usual.

I made it for someone who was pregnant in 1984, and made them again for someone else about fifteen years ago.

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Finding brownies is a part of the brain’s hashing algorithm.

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Best ones i’ve found come out of my oven…
Most of you here make blasphemous brownies
Vegetable! Ha! It is a brownie not health food!!!

came here to post something similar with regard to certain political supporters.
that said, I tend to actually forget where I stashed those high-potency brownies I get from the funny store with the green cross in the window :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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I forgot about a stash of “atomic fireball” jawbreakers (the larger individually wrapped ones) that I had in a toolbox in the garage for about a decade…

So take that evolutionary neurobiologists!

(and they were still good when I found them)

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I get a much better kick out of brownies than I get out of cherry tomatoes.
And anything connected with positive emotions is remembered better.

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I was 20 before I discovered my mother had been blending vegetables into my food throughout my childhood.
At first I felt betrayed, but fair play, I hadn’t noticed :woman_shrugging:t3:

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