Cross Section: Barry Smith - Science Weekly podcast

Coffee is a drink adored the world over. But have you ever wondered why a fresh brew smells better than it tastes? Prof Barry Smith has spent his career pondering how the senses work together to produce flavour perception and so Graihagh Jackson invited him into the studio to talk taste

Coffee is a drink adored the world over. But have you ever wondered why a fresh brew smells better than it tastes?

This is one of the many questions Prof Barry Smith from the University of London has been trying to answer by studying the senses. It turns out there are a lot to choose from; we could have anywhere between 22 and 33 different senses. With a strong interest in wine, though, Smith has focused on how touch, taste and smell all work in tandem to produce flavour perception.