For decades, humans know about the five traditional senses famously described by Aristotle. However, a new research study has challenged the long-held notion, claiming that humans could have 22-33 senses.

According to the study, humans experience multisensory input even during the daily routines, thereby revealing a much more complex and interconnected sensory world.

As per researchers’ observations, senses do not work separately, in fact they blend into a unified perception of the world.

How senses interact

Senses are known to influence one other, like what humans see, feel, hear, and smell changes overall perception. For instance, through smell and texture, humans can imagine or perceive different characteristics of products.

Senses beyond traditional five

According to professor Charles Spence from the Crossmodal Laboratory in Oxford, other senses include proprioception, interoception, vestibular system, and agency & ownership.

Proprioception: It gives the awareness of body position

Interoception: Sensing internal bodily changes, such as hunger or heart rate.

Vestibular system: The sense of balance, managed by the ear canals. It can affect visual perception, such as how airplane cabins appear during takeoff.

Agency & Ownership: The feeling that your body parts belong to you and that you are the one moving them.

The study also states that flavor comes from taste, touch, and smell, not taste alone. Similarly, gustation detects basic tastes, including sweet, salty, umami, bitter and sour. Smell contributes the largest share of flavor perception, especially through odors traveling from mouth to nose during eating.

Sound, such as aircraft noise, can change taste perception, thereby making umami-rich foods like tomato juice taste better on planes.

 The News Digital

Many e-cigarette products have been removed from the U.S. market, but disposable e-cigarettes are still available. Disposable e-cigarettes are not meant to be refilled or recharged, but they can be easily opened using instructions found on the internet. Exposure to the liquid contents of e-cigarettes can result in vomiting, tremors, and even death.

What are e-cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are devices that heat and aerosolize mixtures of nicotine, flavorings, and other ingredients. Inhalation of e-cigarette vapor is known as “vaping.” E-cigarettes were initially intended to help people stop smoking traditional cigarettes, but the introduction of flavored e-cigarettes has led to the expanded use of these products by adolescents. Over the last decade, flavored e-cigarettes have become very popular among young people, even though e-cigarette sales are supposed to be limited to those at least 21 years of age. A 2021 study found that e-cigarettes were the most used tobacco product among middle- and high-school students. Since the adolescent brain is still growing and is quite sensitive to the pleasant effects of sweet-tasting items, the use of flavored e-cigarettes might result in increased dependence on these products in adolescents, as well as nicotine addiction.

Aren’t e-cigarettes banned?

In response to the increased use of e-cigarettes by minors, in January 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) restricted the sale of most flavored, cartridge-based e-cigarettes. This ban meant that major e-cigarette companies like JUUL were no longer able to sell most of their flavored e-cigarette devices. As of October 2021, the only JUUL products that remain available for purchase are the Menthol and Virginia Tobacco pods. A rule prohibiting the use of menthol as a flavoring in cigarettes is currently under consideration. Those who support the 2020 FDA ban argue that the legislation should reduce the use of e-cigarettes by children and adolescents.

What about disposable e-cigarettes?

While the 2020 FDA ban restricted the sale of most JUUL and other cartridge-based e-cigarettes, it did not prohibit the sale of disposable e-cigarettes. Unlike cartridge-based products, disposable e-cigarettes (sold under the brand names Puff Bar, EonSmoke, Posh, and others) are not meant to be refilled. They are battery-powered and do not require external charging. Many disposable e-cigarettes are brightly colored and feature flavors (including cotton candy, watermelon, and sour gummy) that are appealing to children and adolescents. These products are currently legal and can be purchased online as well as at tobacco retailers and are now increasingly popular among adolescents. There are many videos on TikTok that feature the use of disposable e-cigarettes; some of those videos have had millions of views.

Although disposable e-cigarettes are not meant to be refilled and have finite battery lives, there are multiple websites and social media posts that provide detailed instructions for refilling and recharging them. Because these products can be manipulated, opened, and refilled, the potential for exposure to liquid nicotine remains a concern. Some disposable e-cigarettes contain up to 7% nicotine, which is higher than the amount typically found in JUUL pods. Swallowing the liquid contents of a disposable e-cigarette can be very dangerous, especially for young children. Symptoms of nicotine poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, tremors, and heart palpitations. In severe cases, seizures and death can occur.

For now, flavored disposable e-cigarettes remain legal in the US, and these products will likely continue to be used by adolescents and other vulnerable populations. Until additional laws are passed to restrict the use of these products, the potential for toxic effects from them (as well as nicotine addiction) remains a concern.

Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD,
Medical Toxicologist

There’s a new Barbie on the block!

A new Barbie doll‚ who has type 1 diabetes and wears a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump, is available from Mattel, part of the toymaker’s inclusive Fashionistas line.

In designing the new Barbie, which retails for $10.99, Mattel partnered with leading diabetes organization Breakthrough T1D to ensure that the medical devices were accurate — but, of course, still in the doll’s signature pink.

“Introducing a Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation,” Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls said in a press release. “Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”

On her arm, Barbie wears a continuous glucose monitor, held in place with heart-shaped tape. The small, wearable device comes linked to Barbie’s phone, which shows a display of a glucose monitoring app — a parallel for the real-life wearable monitors, which monitor glucose levels 24 hours a day via a sensor under the skin. 

The doll also has an insulin pump attached to her waist that can administer insulin as needed. Insulin pumps, the Cleveland Clinic explains, are an alternative to the traditional daily injections used to manage the condition.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-long autoimmune condition that prevents the pancreas from making insulin to regulate blood sugar. Those with Type 1 diabetes need to take synthetic insulin daily, the Cleveland Clinic explains. The disorder impacts 1.24 million people in the U.S., but that number is expected to grow to 5 million by 2050.

“It means the world to be part of bringing greater visibility to a condition that affects so many families,” Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., CEO of Breakthrough T1D, said in a press release. “It’s an honor to work with a brand that shares our commitment to showing children that a life with type 1 diabetes can be full, vibrant, and empowering.” 

And of course, since she’s Barbie, she needs her stylish outfit, so she’s dressed in a blue polka dot dress — the color itself a nod to diabetes awareness. She comes with light blue booties, and a coordinated light blue purse to store her snacks, cellphone, and other needs.

Other dolls in the Fashionistas line include a blind Barbie who carries a cane, a Barbie with Down syndrome, and a Barbie who uses a wheelchair.

People