Scientists in Singapore have mastered time and space — or at least the art of sending signals over a Bluetooth connection — in order to “teleport” lemonade.
Researchers at the CUTE Center lab, which is operated jointly by the University of Singapore and Keio University of Japan, have created a set of devices, which include a Bluetooth-enabled tumbler, to transport the taste of specific lemonade over the phone.
In order to send the recipient the lemonade, you stick a sensor into a glass of the stuff. The sensor captures the color and pH value of the drink, and when you send it to your friend, the special tumbler on their end alters the water with electrical stimulation so it tastes like lemonade.
It’s not actually lemonade, meaning it wasn’t squeezed from a lemon. But the water in the tumbler tastes sour when it passes over metal strips at the top on the way to your lips.
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Or, to put it more accurately, that’s how your brain will perceive it. To make it even more convincing, a yellow light at the bottom of the cup will make the water the color of lemonade.
According to the Center’s Facebook page, it’s possible to make water or porridge taste salty, sour, or bitter without actually altering their ingredients. Not sure I’d necessarily want to eat sour porridge or drink bitter water, but I’d be curious to see if there are any other specific beverages they can mimic.
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