This is a very fun thought experiment, but I want to flip it on its head: what could augmentation to a chef's senses do for a chef? If you had super smelling or super taste, could you better identify contaminants and impurities in your food? Could gourmet purity be kicked up another level? What else might happen with someone who already has a sense of taste or smell, but now has a superhuman ability in that arena?
If you had those kinds of superhuman senses such as a dog's sense of smell then as a chef you could develop a tasting menu using the purest ingredients available. But if your heightened senses could detect impurities with impunity then we may find out how much of our food is truly contaminated. With this new found ability are certain aged or fermented foods now completely off-putting, like fine cheese or dry aged beef?
This idea plays a huge role in my primary series Cereus & Limnic. Everyone has chips implanted in their heads that allow them to receive (and in some cases) transmit data. I'll be exploring the implications that could have on spirituality in my next major novel project.
The culinary singularity will be just one part of a larger one that plays out across society as we move toward true transhumanism.
Thank you! The intersection of technology and spirituality is a fascinating idea to explore, and it's something that is going to need to be addressed in society in our not so distant future.
I think about brain implants frequently and how at first, an implant may just be a novel optional upgrade but eventually, like cell phones, and the internet, it will become a necessity one day for work, banking, etc.
I agree with you. This world as we now know it, will be very much changed, maybe in the not so distant future. Good and bad will come from it. I can only hope that some of my greatest concerns never happen .
I find waiting staff are often unable to talk about the menu and ingredients. Imagine a chef unable to taste? I would not want food made by a robot, is that old fashioned? Food for thought!
The robot chef may follow the recipe correctly every time, it may season properly with a calculated amount of salt but there still may be something missing, maybe the human element?
With any ingredients, they change in flavour from seasons and where they're cultivated. All strawberries don't have the same flavour, all meat does not have the same flavour so the human element is necessary. Food is not tasty if it's not made with a bit of soul and love.
It may or may not be old fashioned, but I certainly relate to your thoughts here. All of this is exciting, but when I consider the potential, it's unsettling for me. But I'm not young anymore. That has to be factoring in to my attitude on all of this.
This is a very fun thought experiment, but I want to flip it on its head: what could augmentation to a chef's senses do for a chef? If you had super smelling or super taste, could you better identify contaminants and impurities in your food? Could gourmet purity be kicked up another level? What else might happen with someone who already has a sense of taste or smell, but now has a superhuman ability in that arena?
If you had those kinds of superhuman senses such as a dog's sense of smell then as a chef you could develop a tasting menu using the purest ingredients available. But if your heightened senses could detect impurities with impunity then we may find out how much of our food is truly contaminated. With this new found ability are certain aged or fermented foods now completely off-putting, like fine cheese or dry aged beef?
Good points! Sometimes a little ignorance is bliss, you know?
I like your perspective as well.
Thanks, Diane! I like Alien (that's your fave too, right?).
This idea plays a huge role in my primary series Cereus & Limnic. Everyone has chips implanted in their heads that allow them to receive (and in some cases) transmit data. I'll be exploring the implications that could have on spirituality in my next major novel project.
The culinary singularity will be just one part of a larger one that plays out across society as we move toward true transhumanism.
Really enjoyed this post!
Thank you! The intersection of technology and spirituality is a fascinating idea to explore, and it's something that is going to need to be addressed in society in our not so distant future.
I think about brain implants frequently and how at first, an implant may just be a novel optional upgrade but eventually, like cell phones, and the internet, it will become a necessity one day for work, banking, etc.
Interesting read, thank you.
I agree with you. This world as we now know it, will be very much changed, maybe in the not so distant future. Good and bad will come from it. I can only hope that some of my greatest concerns never happen .
I find waiting staff are often unable to talk about the menu and ingredients. Imagine a chef unable to taste? I would not want food made by a robot, is that old fashioned? Food for thought!
The robot chef may follow the recipe correctly every time, it may season properly with a calculated amount of salt but there still may be something missing, maybe the human element?
With any ingredients, they change in flavour from seasons and where they're cultivated. All strawberries don't have the same flavour, all meat does not have the same flavour so the human element is necessary. Food is not tasty if it's not made with a bit of soul and love.
Food made with love and a piece of your soul has a quality that is undeniable.
It may or may not be old fashioned, but I certainly relate to your thoughts here. All of this is exciting, but when I consider the potential, it's unsettling for me. But I'm not young anymore. That has to be factoring in to my attitude on all of this.