7 Discoveries Scientists Made by Licking Things

The video explores how licking has surprisingly contributed to scientific discoveries. It covers the accidental discovery of artificial sweeteners, the taste of Spinifex grass, poisonous birds in New Guinea, and historical chemists who used licking as a method. It also highlights geologists using the lick test to identify fossils and minerals. Despite its usefulness, the video advises against licking due to potential dangers.

Which artificial sweetener was discovered due to poor lab hygiene and is still widely used today?

• Saccharin

• Sodium Cyclomate

• Stevia

• Aspartame

What was the main reason sodium cyclomate was banned in the US?

• It was too expensive to produce

• It had a bitter taste

• It was linked to bladder cancer

• It caused liver damage

What unexpected taste did researchers find on the sap of certain wild grasses in Australia?

• Spicy and hot

• Salt and vinegar

• Bitter and sour

• Sweet and sugary

What is the primary toxin found in the hooded pitahooie bird?

• Strychnine

• Arsenic

• Cyanide

• Homotrachotoxin

How do the hooded pitahooie birds acquire their poison?

• Through genetic mutation

• By absorbing it from the environment

• From the beetles they consume

• From the plants they eat

Which chemist is known for tasting chemicals and discovering several elements in the 1700s?

• Antoine Lavoisier

• Marie Curie

• Dmitri Mendeleev

• Carl Wilhelm Scheel

What dangerous substance did Carl Wilhelm Scheel taste, which is known for its sweet taste?

• Arsenic

• Mercury

• Hydrogen cyanide

• Lead

What is the purpose of the lick test in geology?

• To measure mineral density

• To test for radioactive elements

• To differentiate fossils from rocks

• To identify the age of rocks

What characteristic of ancient water makes it easy to identify using taste?

• Its sweetness

• Its bitterness

• Its metallic taste

• Its saltiness

What did researchers find in ancient water pockets in South Africa?

• Gold deposits

• Microorganisms

• Fossils

• Radioactive elements