"When we chew and swallow, volatile molecules from the food go through the rear of the nasal cavity to the olfactory receptors in the roof of the nose, " says Richard Doty, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Smell and Taste Center.

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Raines' own experiences as a protester five months earlier may have provided his first taste of how inhospitable the "vital center" can be.

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College basketball is getting its first taste of SportVU because Chicago's United Center, the home of the Big Ten Tournament, is already wired for the expensive technology.

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Strong vanilla taste on the tip and sides of the tongue, wood smoke flavors in the center of the mouth.

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For example, a recent study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the Monell Center showed that supertasters were better able to fend off bacterial sinus infections because of a particular bitter-taste receptor in their nose.

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