0:14:50 > 0:14:57.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Welcome to Science Fiction -
0:15:05 > 0:15:08the show which takes your most pressing scientific queries...
0:15:08 > 0:15:12..and brings everything into sharp focus.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Well, Bud-E, what's in the pipeline today?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Today's question comes from Pinnochio in Tokyo.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20He asks, "Does ice cream really make my brain freeze?"
0:15:20 > 0:15:24I love ice cream, I do. It always reminds me of going on my holidays.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Sometimes when we eat or drink something cold too fast,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31we get an intense headache that we call brain freeze.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35But, like, what happens, Dr Knowles?
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Does the ice cream go up the wrong tube or what?
0:15:37 > 0:15:41The brain is extremely sensitive to changes in temperature
0:15:41 > 0:15:44and when we bombard our system with really cold ice cream,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47our brain's self defence mechanism kicks in.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Self defence? Against an ice cream?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52What's it going to do, chop its flake off?
0:15:52 > 0:15:56When the ice cream hits our palate, nerves in the roof of our mouth
0:15:56 > 0:16:00detect a drop in temperature and to protect the brain from cooling down
0:16:00 > 0:16:03the body reacts by pumping extra blood to the brain to keep it warm.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08I get it. A bit like hitting boost on the central heating. Brrrilliant.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10A side-effect, however, is that this increases pressure
0:16:10 > 0:16:13inside the skull which, in turn, causes the headache.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16So, to avoid shocking your body too much
0:16:16 > 0:16:20you just need to slow down when you're eating.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Fair enough, Dr Knowles, but if it's all the same with you
0:16:22 > 0:16:25I think I'll take a few extra precautions, OK?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27So, now you know, Pinnochio,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30ice cream headaches have nothing to do with your brain freezing.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Sure, that's just a load of old science fiction.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36# Science Fiction. #
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Did you know, Dr, Knowles,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42that my brain completely froze for a week in the bad winter of 1982?