SCIENTISTS have debunked the long-held idea that humans have five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - suggesting there could be as many as 33.
An early addition to these five, which were originally proposed by Aristotle, was balance, courtesy of the vestibular system, with proprioception and interoception (which allows the brain to perceive, interpret, and monitor the internal physical state of the body) bringing it to eight, and temperature to nine.
As for the other 20-odd, researchers say this is down to the different senses affecting each other to create new sensations.
Writing in The Conversation, British philosopher Barry Smith pointed out that what we feel affects what we see and what we see affects what we hear - and so on.
For example, rose scented shampoo makes hair seem silkier, while certain scents in low-fat yoghurt can make them feel richer and thicker.
And if you've ever wondered why you may crave tomato juice when you're on a plane - and why airline food is often oversalted - it seems aircraft noise interferes with our perception of taste.
"While our perception of salt, sweet and sour is reduced in the presence of white noise, umami is not, and...tomato juice is rich in umami.
"This means the aircraft's noise will taste enhance the savoury flavour."
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