Super taster sounds like a compliment. It isn't. It's a genetic condition where bitter tastes register so intensely that coffee arrives as liquid body odor and alcohol lands like Windex. Nearly a quarter of the population has it. Most of them have no idea there's a name for it.

 

There is a specific social cost to having a body that genuinely rejects what everyone else is drinking. Not preference, a physical response so strong Yale researchers gave it a name in the 1990s. A home test using food coloring can confirm it: fifteen or more visible taste buds in the stained area and you qualify.

 

Kris Abel is a confirmed super taster who has been declining drinks his whole life and tonight explains why. He also brings the $800 Apple AirPods Max 2 that responds to head nods, and a Japanese robot tongue called Licker that produces real saliva. The tech has range.

 

Topics: super taster, taste buds genetics, Apple AirPods Max 2, robot tongue Japan, bitter sensitivity

 

GUEST: Kris Abel | realkrisabel.com


Originally aired on 2026-03-17

Super taster sounds like a compliment. It isn't. It's a genetic condition where bitter tastes register so intensely that coffee arrives as liquid body odor and alcohol lands like Windex. Nearly a quarter of the population has it. Most of them have no idea there's a name for it.
&nbsp;
There is a specific social cost to having a body that genuinely rejects what everyone else is drinking. Not preference, a physical response so strong Yale researchers gave it a name in the 1990s. A home test using food coloring can confirm it: fifteen or more visible taste buds in the stained area and you qualify.
&nbsp;
Kris Abel is a confirmed super taster who has been declining drinks his whole life and tonight explains why. He also brings the $800 Apple AirPods Max 2 that responds to head nods, and a Japanese robot tongue called Licker that produces real saliva. The tech has range.
&nbsp;
Topics: super taster, taste buds genetics, Apple AirPods Max 2, robot tongue Japan, bitter sensitivity
&nbsp;
GUEST: Kris Abel | realkrisabel.com
 Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-17

Shane Hewitt & The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world—always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.

From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane’s signature style—thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.

If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt &amp; The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world&mdash;always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.
From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane&rsquo;s signature style&mdash;thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.
If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

ICYMI - What Coffee Tastes Like When Your Taste Buds Are Built Differently

Multiple myeloma has one ask this March: know the name. Ted Nolan didn't know it until his blood work came back and a doctor told him he needed a stem cell transplant within weeks. He was 67. He was 95 per cent contaminated. He had no idea.

When the diagnosis came through, Pat LaFontaine called his old coach. His message was simple: coach yourself the way you coached us. One shift at a time. One period at a time. Ted Nolan had handed that advice to players for decades. Turns out it works just as well from a hospital bed as it does behind a bench.

Myeloma Canada is marking March with red lights coast to coast, from the legislature in Victoria to Niagara Falls. Visit myeloma.ca, learn the symptoms, and ask your doctor. Take the blood test. Go back if something is not getting better. Ted Nolan is off his medication, walking every day, and still coaching. It started with Sandra saying go back one more time.

Topics: multiple myeloma, Myeloma Canada, blood cancer diagnosis, men's health awareness, Myeloma Action Month

GUEST: Ted Nolan

Originally aired on 2026-03-17

Multiple myeloma has one ask this March: know the name. Ted Nolan didn't know it until his blood work came back and a doctor told him he needed a stem cell transplant within weeks. He was 67. He was 95 per cent contaminated. He had no idea.
When the diagnosis came through, Pat LaFontaine called his old coach. His message was simple: coach yourself the way you coached us. One shift at a time. One period at a time. Ted Nolan had handed that advice to players for decades. Turns out it works just as well from a hospital bed as it does behind a bench.
Myeloma Canada is marking March with red lights coast to coast, from the legislature in Victoria to Niagara Falls. Visit<a href="http://myeloma.ca"> myeloma.ca</a>, learn the symptoms, and ask your doctor. Take the blood test. Go back if something is not getting better. Ted Nolan is off his medication, walking every day, and still coaching. It started with Sandra saying go back one more time.
Topics: multiple myeloma, Myeloma Canada, blood cancer diagnosis, men's health awareness, Myeloma Action Month
GUEST: Ted Nolan
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-17

Shiftheads - One Shift at a Time Isn't Just Hockey Advice

The cost of dating just cleared $170 a night, and that is before the second round. More than half of single Canadians have gone the entire last year without one date.

Imagine standing at the end of an evening doing the math before the bill even arrives. Tony puts it plainly: when the total looks like a Tesla lease, something has gone wrong. And yet the same conversation produced a hopeless romantic who believes a well-chosen cheese plate and something sparkling can mean more than a hundred-dollar main.

Afternoon dates are underrated. So is aisle four. What is actually getting in the way might not be the price at all.

Topics: cost of dating, first date ideas, dating in Canada, romance and money, dating advice

GUEST: Tony Tedesco and Jen Kirsch

Originally aired on 2026-03-17

The cost of dating just cleared $170 a night, and that is before the second round. More than half of single Canadians have gone the entire last year without one date.
Imagine standing at the end of an evening doing the math before the bill even arrives. Tony puts it plainly: when the total looks like a Tesla lease, something has gone wrong. And yet the same conversation produced a hopeless romantic who believes a well-chosen cheese plate and something sparkling can mean more than a hundred-dollar main.
Afternoon dates are underrated. So is aisle four. What is actually getting in the way might not be the price at all.
Topics: cost of dating, first date ideas, dating in Canada, romance and money, dating advice
GUEST: Tony Tedesco and Jen Kirsch
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-17

NEW - If the Date Only Works Because It's Expensive, That's Not Chemistry

Canada's World Cup kit 2026 is here, and Bob Addison already has a verdict on the black one. You see it and think outer space. The design team meant frozen lake. You have less than a hundred days to decide if you care.

There is something specific about a kit that costs real money and carries a country's flag into the biggest sporting event on the planet. It should land. It should say something without a caption. When people have to explain what the design was going for, that is when the questions start.

Design intent and public perception rarely land in the same place. What looks like a frozen lake to the person who made it looks like outer space to the person buying it. That gap, between meaning and reading, is exactly what makes or breaks an expensive jersey.

Topics: Canada World Cup kit 2026, FIFA 2026 co-host, soccer jersey design, kit leak strategy, Nike uniform release

GUEST: Bob Addison | @‌riobobbo

Originally aired on 2026-03-17

Canada's World Cup kit 2026 is here, and Bob Addison already has a verdict on the black one. You see it and think outer space. The design team meant frozen lake. You have less than a hundred days to decide if you care.
There is something specific about a kit that costs real money and carries a country's flag into the biggest sporting event on the planet. It should land. It should say something without a caption. When people have to explain what the design was going for, that is when the questions start.
Design intent and public perception rarely land in the same place. What looks like a frozen lake to the person who made it looks like outer space to the person buying it. That gap, between meaning and reading, is exactly what makes or breaks an expensive jersey.
Topics: Canada World Cup kit 2026, FIFA 2026 co-host, soccer jersey design, kit leak strategy, Nike uniform release
GUEST: Bob Addison | @&zwnj;riobobbo
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-17

ICYMI - What Coffee Tastes Like When Your Taste Buds Are Built Differently

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