TRENTO, Italy — An exhibition in northern Italy is expanding traditional ideas about taste by exploring how sound influences the way people experience their food.

Hosted at the MUSE science museum in Trento, Food Sound examines how auditory cues — from the crunch of an apple to the sizzle of a pan — affect appetite, perception of flavor and emotional response.

“If neuroscience has transformed fields from psychology to economics, it’s also reshaping how we understand cooking and food,” said Patrizia Famà, director of the museum’s Office of Public Programs.

Visitors are guided through mock-ups of trattorias and dining pods, learning how the brain processes sound and how acoustics can influence food choices.

One interactive display invites guests to select food based solely on sound.

“Food perception is the ultimate multi-sensory experience, engaging all five senses,” said Massimiliano Zampini, a researcher at the University of Trento and a member of the exhibition’s scientific committee.

Mr. Zampini and Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist at Britain’s Oxford University, were among the first to study how sound — often overlooked in discussions of taste — affects flavor and emotional response.

In a landmark experiment in 2004, they found that potato chips were perceived as being both crisper and fresher when either the overall sound level was increased, or when just the high frequency sounds were selectively amplified.

The idea for the exhibition came to creator Vincenzo Guarnieri after overhearing children describe a visit to a potato chip factory.

“They said the fryers sounded like other children crying. That moment struck me, and I realized sound could be a powerful tool to raise awareness about food,” Mr. Guarnieri said.

The food industry has taken notice of the research to try to attract consumers.

British food ingredients maker Tate & Lyle has identified “Hyper Crunch” as a rising trend, with consumers adding baked rice to salads and seeking out snacks that deliver a satisfying crunch.

In a report published in November, Tate & Lyle predicted that the trend would expand into sweet categories. It cited examples such as a chocolate bar with a kunefe filling, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert, and iced coffee served in chocolate-coated cups that crackle when squeezed.

Betti Nincioli, from Florence, said that she had already realized how much background music contributed to her sense of serenity and positive mood when she was picking up products from supermarket shelves or dining in restaurants.

“Now I am more aware of how a product’s sound can make it seem like something else,” she said after visiting the exhibition which is in a museum designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. — Reuters

VENICE — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, best known for his high-octane action roles, has stepped away from his Hollywood comfort zone to take on a bruising dramatic turn in The Smashing Machine, which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Monday.

The former wrestling star and box-office powerhouse plays the real-life, mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr, whose towering physique and prowess in the ring belied a soft-spoken nature and private struggles.

The role marks a sharp turn for Mr. Johnson, who has spent the past two decades headlining family franchises such as Jumanji and the Fast & Furious series.

“Sometimes it’s harder to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed into something,” Mr. Johnson told reporters in Venice.

“It could push you into a category and into a corner, and this is your lane, this is what people want you to be, this is what Hollywood wants you to be. I just had this burning desire, this voice that was saying, ‘Well, what if there is more?’”

Directed by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine traces Mr. Kerr’s rise in the early days of mixed martial arts (MMA) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), when brutal combats in Japan helped define the nascent sport.

The story also shows the toll it took on Mr. Kerr — a dependence on painkillers, a turbulent romance with his girlfriend Dawn, played by Emily Blunt, and the crushing pressure to deliver victory after victory.

“It’s about the pressure to win, the pressure to deliver, and what happens when winning becomes the enemy,” Mr. Johnson said.

“It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn, but also about Mark’s love for the thing he did, and his struggle to deliver and overcome his challenges.”

TRANSFORMATION
Mr. Johnson is almost unrecognizable in the role, sporting curly brown hair and appearing even more muscular than usual to reflect the physical stature of Kerr himself.

“I cannot believe I even asked, but I said, ‘Dwayne, I think you need to get a little’ and I was like, how do I say this? ‘bigger, puffier’?” said Mr. Safdie, making his debut as a solo director after previously sharing credits with his brother Josh.

Ms. Blunt, who had co-starred with Johnson in Disney’s 2021 adventure Jungle Cruise, said she had been “spooked” by his transformation. “I remember when he walked in as Mark for the first time. It changed the air in the room. It was like everyone parted, everyone went very quiet,” she said.

Mr. Kerr himself was in the room for Monday’s news conference and tears appeared in his eyes as he was introduced.

Mr. Johnson said Mr. Kerr was “a walking contradiction, at one time the greatest fighter on the planet, but also kind, gentle, tender, empathetic.”

Mr. Johnson’s own father was a professional wrestler, but the actor said he had not been a model for this role.

“I don’t think my dad was an inspiration in terms of his tenderness. It wasn’t really my dad. He was homeless by the time he was 13, so his capacity for love was very limited,” said Mr. Johnson, who acknowledged feeling nerves at his first appearance at a major European film festival.

The Smashing Machine is one of 21 films competing for the festival’s prestigious Golden Lion prize, which will be awarded on Sept. 6. — Reuters