system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
eli5 why can you not taste when your tongue is numb if taste and touch are two different senses?

After having some dental work, I have found myself wondering.
gpt
All 5 of the main senses (a lot more have been identified but that’s another topic) require nerves to carry information to your brain. When the area is numb, the nerves are being prevented from doing this. So your brain isn’t receiving the information, even if the stimulus is present (in the case of taste, the stimulus is your food).