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september 23, 2015 - Heesen Yachts

‘The sounds of Silence’ by Heesen Yachts

Professor Barry Smith presents a multisensory experience for the launch of Project Nova.

Barry C Smith is a professor of philosophy and director of the Institute of Philosophy as well as the founder of the Centre for the Study of the Senses, which pioneers collaborative research between philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists.

Professor Barry Smith released an in-depth case study on the nature of sensory experience through taste. Nowadays, a great deal of evidence shows that we generally think of experiences as either visual, auditory or tactile, not realising that they often arise from the fusion of different sensory inputs. The case draws our attention to the sensory experience, the acts of tasting and the differences between taste and flavour. The section important for us to highlight, is Multimodal Perception which explains that we are not aware of how interactive the senses are; not aware, that is, of the way two features match and affect our taste

Professor Smith followed on this research with a recent article stating that Researchers have long suspected that loud noise might interfere with an individual’s ability to taste the flavour of food. This research took on the example of tomato juice which is ordered more frequently in flight than in any other circumstance: “Loud noise, for instance, may interfere with tasting, while the matching flavours to music can enhance the experience of dining.” The study highlighted that a key feature of tomatoes is that they are rich in umami, and it has now been shown that it is the one basic taste ingredient that is relatively unaffected by the level of background noise.

The brain’s processing of taste is affected by a noise of 80 decibels or above, which reduces the tongue’s ability to detect salt sweet and sour. Project Nova on the other hand, releases the smooth sound of on average 46 decibels, making a harmony between noise and taste, and a perfect pairing for enjoying any food and drink experienced on board. As a professional of taste and sound, Professor Smith will also showcase the difference in sound when pouring Champagne, Soda and Prosecco, and how these sounds may affect our preferences even when we are unaware of them.

Whilst allowing a delightful and peaceful experience on board, Project Nova is also able to reach a top speed of 16.3 knots with her hybrid propulsion. Perfectly quiet whilst departing and cruising, she allows her captain and crew to start early and leave the port without waking the owners and guests.