🚀 go-pugleaf

My guess, Paul, is that the laser beam is intense enough to cause
electrical activity in the salt solutions on the tongue.  This is
fascinating, but my first thought is one of caution.  Imagine where else
they might try to shine the thing!  In this day of lawsuits we have to be
cautious.  <<Joe>>

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             Joseph F. McLaughlin, Physics
   Brentwood High School,  Brentwood (Pittsburgh), PA
johnmcl+@pitt.edu (Pitt got it wrong- it's Joe, not John!)
           (formerly jxm39@psuvm.psu.edu)



On Sat, 25 Mar 1995, Paul J Allan wrote:

>         This last week my physics students were working on a lightwave
> communication unit I do.  One of the students was playing with one of
> the pen lasers (Metrologics 6 mA, red) and flashed it on his tongue.  He
> said he could taste it (almost feel it.)  I tried it, as did the rest
> of the class and sure enough, it produces a "metal-like" taste on most
> people's tongues.  Does anyone know why this might happen?
>         (Due to the close connection of the nose and tasting, students
> tried shining the laser up their noses, but had no sensations.)
>         Most students described the laser on the tongue as tasting like
> a 9V battery on your tongue, but without the shock.  Any ideas?