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You've probably been told at some point in your life not to test a 9-volt battery by sticking it to your tongue.
应该有人告诉过你，不要用舌头去舔一节9伏特的电池。
But if you're a rebel and you ignored that sage advice, in addition to the slightly painful shock you received,
但如果你是个反叛者，你会忽视这个明智的建议，除了感到一丝轻微疼痛的触电感，
you might have noticed the battery tasted almost sour, kind of like lemonade.
你或许还会注意到电池尝起来很酸，有点像是柠檬汁。
Thankfully, that flavor wasn't battery acid, it was actually the taste of the electrical current from the charged battery.
还好，那种味道并不是蓄电池用酸，其实那是来自带电电池的电流的味道。
When you touch the little knobs or leads of a 9-volt battery on your skin,
当你的皮肤触碰到了9伏特电池的凸出部分或是引线，
you don't feel a shock because your skin doesn't conduct electricity well enough for a current to really flow.
你不会被触电，因为你的皮肤不能很好地导电让电流流过。
When you touch them to your tongue, on the other hand, your saliva has no trouble completing the circuit.
另一方面，当你用舌头舔它们的时候，你的唾液会接通电路。
Once this circuit closes, electrons start moving out of one lead and into the other, creating an electrical current.
一旦这个电路关闭，电子就会开始从引线中脱离并游进另一端形成电流。
And on the way, they can interact with the water molecules and basically rip them apart in a process called electrolysis.
在形成的过程中，它们可以和水分子相互作用并在电解过程中将它们分开。
Current entering your saliva from one lead creates hydrogen gas, leaving hydroxide ions behind.
电流从导线进入你的唾液中，造成氢气，留下氢氧化物。
And current leaving your saliva through the other lead creates oxygen gas, leaving hydrogen ions behind.
通过另一端离开唾液的电流创造出氧气，留下氢离子。
These hydrogen ions are what sour taste receptors in your taste buds pick up on; they're also found in acidic foods.
这些氢离子就是味蕾感受到的酸味受体；它们也存在于酸性食物中。
And that sourness dominates the flavor because while hydroxide ions can taste bitter or soapy, your tongue isn't as sensitive to them.
尝到酸味是因为，虽然氢离子可以是苦的或是肥皂水味的，但你的舌头对这些味道并不敏感。
But... not all electrical currents taste the same, or even sour.
但是...并不是所有电流都是一样的味道，酸味也是不一样的。
A charged nine-volt battery happens to provide the right jolt to cause a sour taste,
一节带点的9伏特电池正好可以造成酸味，
but smaller shocks can be sweet, spicy, bitter, or even savory at times.
但是微弱一点的电击可以是甜的、辣的、苦的甚至有时是很味美的。
That's because your other taste receptors can be activated with the right combination of current and temperature,
这是因为你的其他味觉接收器可以被电流和温度的恰当结合激活，
a phenomenon appropriately called electric taste.
这种现象被称为电性味觉。
By tinkering with the strength of the current, the temperature of the leads delivering it,
通过将电流强度、端节传输的温度
and accentuating small shocks with artificial smells or colorful lights, scientists can trick you into tasting all sorts of flavors.
以及用人造味道或多彩光加强小电击相结合，科学家们可以让你以为自己尝到了各种各样的味道。
In one 2016 study, for example, they were able to make plain oatmeal or water taste sour, bitter, or savory using a specially-designed spoon and bottle.
例如，在一项2016年的研究中，他们可以利用特质的勺子或瓶子让原味燕麦或白水尝起来很酸、苦或很可口。
But electrodes aren't able to recreate all of your favorite dishes just yet because faking complex flavors is tricky business.
但是电极还不能创造出所有你喜欢的菜，因为伪造复杂的味道比较棘手。
Stimulating the same types of taste receptors results in a stronger perception of the taste,
刺激味觉接收器的同种类型可以让人们的味觉感知更强，
but different taste receptors like sweet and sour can cancel each other out.
但是不同的味觉接收器，比如甜味和酸味可以相互抵消。
Bitter and sweet flavors also seem to be harder to get right for reasons that aren't entirely clear.
苦和甜味似乎也更加难以掌控，原因尚不明确。
And ultimately, the flavor you taste when eating is determined in your brain.
最终，你吃东西时品尝到的味道取决于你的大脑。
And that means it can be influenced by everything from the weight of your cutlery to the music playing while you eat.
这意味着味道受到了一切事物的影响，比如餐具的重量以及吃东西时听的音乐。
So it might be awhile before you can get your taste buds on some electro-sweet-and-sour chicken.
所以要吃到电子糖醋鸡还得等一等了。
But hey, at least now you know that sour battery flavor was just the taste of a short, sharp shock.
但是至少现在大家知道了，电池的酸味只是短暂电击的味道。
Though, for the record, please don't lick batteries. I mean, come on. That's just common sense.
郑重声明，还是不要舔电池了。我是说，算了吧。这根本就是常识啊。
Thanks for asking, Jase smith, and thanks to all of our patrons who voted for this question in our poll.
感谢疑问，感谢我们赞助人的投票。
If you want to ask questions like this, help us decide which ones to answer,
如果你想提问，帮助我们决定回答哪个问题，
or just get awesome rewards you can't get anywhere else, learn more about becoming one of our patrons at Patreon.com/SciShow.
或是想获得小礼品，就登录Patreon.com/SciShow了解如何成为我们的赞助人。
And if you're still hungry for knowledge after this episode,
如果看完本期视频还不满足，
be sure to click that subscribe button, because we serve up hot fresh science videos every day.
请订阅我们的频道，因为我们每天都会奉上新鲜的科学视频大餐。
