this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] lengau@midwest.social 36 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Cilantro: tastes like soap

Can smell ants: no

Sorry, I'm a counterpoint. I got the worst of both.

[–] kautau@lemmy.world 24 points 2 months ago (1 children)

But do ants taste like soap or cilantro

[–] dunz@feddit.nu 2 points 2 months ago

They taste kind of almost vinegarey

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I'm with you. Can't smell ants, but cilantro is soapy.

There are lots of little genetic quirks out there. I experience Arnold's Reflex, that is, I cough when I stick a cotton swab in my left ear canal. (Only my left. My right doesn't react.) There's also the Photic Sneeze Reflex, which is where you sneeze when looking at light. I don't have that, but around 35% of the population does.

I'm sure there are countless more little things like this that people just haven't talked about/gathered enough data on yet.

[–] Denvil@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Every single time I walk outside, 3 sneezes sometimes more because of the sun. Although I've never met somebody else who does the same

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I learned about the Photic Sneeze Reflex when discussing the frustration of cancelled sneezes (you know, when you feel one coming on, but then it just doesn't happen and it leaves you feeling weird.) He told me, "When that happens, I just look at a light." I had no idea what he meant. Meanwhile, he thought it was normal for everyone. We both learned something that day.

[–] Denvil@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

An entry for ACHOO syndrome in the National Library of Medicine, by a Laura Dean (I think?) from 2012 claims 1 in 4 people will be pushed over the edge to a sneeze when they already have one on the edge, but "pure" photic sneezing is "far less common" although there is no number given, so I have no idea how rare or common it is to just straight up sneeze from light without already having to sneeze

[–] Ignis@lemmy.today 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

My mom does that, but I believe it may be a sign of a tick, or at least that’s what my father once told me. Worth checking out in any case.

[–] Denvil@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

Either I've had a tick for the past 19 years, or its unrelated in my case

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

I didn't know about the cough reflex. I'll have to check if it's both sides. Can you taste iodine? It's present in hot pink food dye, making things like pink peeps taste worse than yellow or blue for me

[–] Commiejones@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 months ago

I can smell ants (but they aren't disgusting just sour) and cilantro is delicious.