Today’s Big Story

Sensory Overload?

Scientists now think we could have 33 senses

Forget about a sixth sense … What about a 33rd?! Scientists now believe we have far more than five senses. It’s more than two dozen, as recent research has shown. It turns out, human perception isn’t really limited to just sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.

Our experiences tend to be multi-sensory, and five senses would hardly be enough to cover that. It is now thought that we could have between 22 and 33 senses, according to psychologist Charles Spence from the Crossmodal Laboratory at Oxford University. Spence researches phenomena like consumer psychology (which appeals to multiple senses at once), and illusions (which occur when sensory overlap changes how we perceive things).

Proprioception, for instance, is the subconscious ability that tells us how we are oriented in space and which way we are moving without a visual assist. According to Popular Mechanics, automatic proprioception is the reason we can walk over uneven surfaces without tripping, keep our balance while lifting heavy objects, and scratch an itch without thinking about every motion. Kinesthesia, the awareness of motion and how to improve movements, is possible because of proprioception (and also factors into muscle memory). Learned movements, such as playing the piano without having to look down at the keys, also benefit from proprioception in default mode.

Put more simply, what we feel affects what we see and what we see affects what we hear. Different fragrances in shampoo can affect how you perceive the texture of hair. The floral scent of rose makes hair seem silkier, for instance. Or the aroma in low-fat yogurts can make them feel richer and thicker on the palate without adding more emulsifiers.

Laboratory experiments are now highlighting just how flexible these systems can be. In one study, altering the sound of footsteps made participants feel lighter or heavier while walking. In another, background aircraft noise changed how food tasted. Salty and sweet flavors dulled, while savory notes grew stronger. That quirk explains why tomato juice tends to taste better at 36,000 feet.

ICE Shoots, Kills Person in Minneapolis

Trump defends ICE, seeks to define shooting before facts are established

An ICE officer shot and killed a 37-year-old woman who was in a vehicle that drove close to federal agents in South Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, according to the Department of Homeland Security and video of the incident viewed by multiple media outlets.

The killing occurred during “targeted operations” in the city and comes amid an unprecedented surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota. President Donald Trump said the woman “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over” the agent, who Trump said shot her in self-defense. The Washington Post reports that the president made the claim within hours of the shooting Wednesday, before investigators had completed their work.

Now, rank-and-file Democrats are starting to make serious noise about using the threat of a government shutdown to force substantive changes at ICE. According to Axios, progressive lawmakers see the end-of-January funding cliff as a leverage point to exploit, as they fume about the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem.

Trump’s Alcohol Tariffs Are Coming

Consumers will feel it in two ways: higher costs and fewer choices

Look, with the state of the world as it is … no one would blame you for drinking a little more. But if you’ve been imbibing more than usual lately, you’re not going to like this: New alcohol tariffs—part of President Trump’s push that has taxed imports—are altering what shows up on menus, what bartenders recommend and what patrons are willing to order. And it’s turning global trade policy into something you can taste at happy hour.

“There is definitely the impression that bar prices have increased this year across the industry,” one bartender told the Huffington Post. But she also pointed out that there’s been a rise in value-driven programming. Extended happy hours, promotional cocktails and strategic pricing are designed to soften the blow without alienating guests.

Behind many American bars, the majority of what’s poured is imported. Champagne, tequila, Scotch whisky and amaro are categories legally tied to specific regions and countries. And it isn’t just higher prices. It is the lack of substitutes. Champagne cannot be made in Colorado. Tequila cannot be relocated to Kentucky. Many of the companies making these products already raised prices and shrank packaging during the pandemic years.

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