Name: How you can make a fruit fly eat veggies
Uploaded: 2018-06-11T16:14:14Z
Duration: 4 min 16 s
Description: Can the mind be manipulated to love a food we loathe? The evidence from fruit flies is compelling, and perhaps surprising. Our tag team of neuroscientists attempts to change a fly's preference for fruit over vegetables simply by shining a light on their brain.

Greg Gage: How you can make a fruit fly eat veggies

How you can make a fruit fly eat veggies

Can the mind be manipulated to love a food we loathe? The evidence from fruit flies is compelling, and perhaps surprising. Our tag team of neuroscientists attempts to change a fly's preference for fruit over vegetables simply by shining a light on their brain.

New neuroscience tools can actually make fruit flies prefer vegetables by tricking their brains into tasting sweetness where none exists. Using optogenetics, scientists activated sweet taste neurons in flies every time they ate broccoli, causing them to switch their preference from banana to broccoli. The experiment shows that taste is not just about the food but how the brain interprets the signals. Early human trials are beginning, suggesting future possibilities for reshaping perception and behavior.