Proving An Elementary Science Lesson Wrong With Two Questions

[Shlup]

Not relevant.

[Peegee]

Much like the use of "punnet squares" to describe allele interactions, school science class does indeed simplify some things for the sake of simplicity and clarity. The basic principles are correct, though - in this case, the idea that the human tongue has different regions that are sensitive to different basic flavour types.

I tried to understand what you're getting at with that post but I can't be 100% sure.

Anyway, a clarification -- any part of the tongue is capable of discerning any of the five tastes. The idea that (for example) the tip of your tongue is the 'sweet' area is only partially correct: portions of your tongue are only more sensitive than others, not solely responsible for one um...gustatory sensation.

Here's an old article that shows how recent this discovery is (is the previous statement confusing or what?): sauce

[Moon Rabbits]

I was also taught in elementary school that Pluto was a planet.

Little did they know.

THIS MAKES IT TRUE.

[Peegee]

I was also taught in elementary school that Pluto was a planet.

Little did they know.

THIS MAKES IT TRUE.

We also learned that there was a dinosaur called Brontosaurus. Sigh...

[Moon Rabbits]

We also learned that there was a dinosaur called Brontosaurus. Sigh...

I thought it was just renamed.

[Peegee]

We also learned that there was a dinosaur called Brontosaurus. Sigh...

I thought it was just renamed.

No a Brontosaurus was just an Apatosaurus with a different head.

[rubah]

I've been wondering for a long while why they couldn't seem to decide what to call it.

[Shoeberto]

Onions are fundamentally sweet. Eat onions with your nose pinched closed.

You can actually verify the concept by eating anything with your nose pinched closed. Try it with different colored skittles picked randomly from a bag. They'll all taste the same because your tongue only picks up on their sweetness.

You should think your theories out better, Ceej.

[Remulak]

There are 5 tastes, not four.

Umami, you hoser.

EDIT: I looked up "umami" in the dictionary. It's not a word.

Someone hasn't been paying attention.

I like how you keep on owning yourself. I don't even have to do anything!

[The Ceej]

What, Remulak? The fact that it's not in my dictionary adds to your argument? I highly doubt that.

[Remulak]

Argument? You're pretty much arguing against yourself. I'm simply correcting your lack of knowledge on the subject.

[Roto13]

Protip: Your dictionary is not a list of every single word ever spoken.

[The Ceej]

I do believe, if it were a word at the time, my dictionary would have said so. Since it wasn't even a word then, I suspect it's something people are expecting me to believe has been a word the whole time that they just forgot to teach me at the time.

Again, I highly doubt that. Not even all te alcohole that's in me can get me to believe that.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Umami has always been a word, just not a borrowed one in English until recently. Also: umami. Apparently, it has been adopted into the English language since 1979.

This thing is kinda like how Pluto is no longer a planet.

Heh, in grade 4, my supply teacher tried to tell me that Jupiter did not have a ring. I told her she was wrong, which she was, even though my friend try to tell me she's the teacher so she should know better than me.

[Loony BoB]

I do believe, if it were a word at the time, my dictionary would have said so.

Out of curiosity, what is the date on your dictionary?

I bet we can find a bunch of words that are indeed words that aren't in your dictionary, regardless of how old they are. Seriously, when dealing with science, if you think every scientific word is going to be in there then you're in for a bit of a shock.