Discriminating Taste1 (or, He Made Me Do It)

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Photos (top to bottom): Luna (1), Ada (2), Maria (3), Awa (4).

Students have just completed the second of two experiments designed to investigate the nature of science. This experiment was a double blind test of the kids' ability to distinguish between two brands of cola, Coke and a locally available generic brand. Student subjects tasted four pairs of samples, and were asked to determine whether the samples were the SAME or DIFFERENT. Conditions (SAME/DIFFERENT) were randomly assigned to trials (four per subject), and cola brands were randomly assigned to the SAME condition, and cups in the DIFFERENT condition.

Not everyone was fond of the taste of cola, as the photos above indicate. Ada, Maria and Awa were in immense discomfort, the taste being just barely palatable. Despite the theatrics, Ada and Maria scored quite well, correctly distinguishing between their four samples. Awa missed two, overcome pain and suffering. Still, she wanted to know if she could have the extra soda to take home. Go figure. Kids . . .