Things That Disgust

It's a rare Friday afternoon that I don't catch part or all of Ira Flato's scifri radio show. His latest guest was a scientist,Rachel Herz, who studies smell and taste. Ira said surely there must be universal smells that are considered revolting. Skunk smell. Rachel disagreed and said behavioral influences alter smell from childhood. Don't play with that, it's dirty, or don't touch that, it's dead. She never heard that skunks smell bad, and likes the smell. A caller said she too likes the smell of skunk. Ira asked what's the point of the skunk exhibiting it's awful smell if predators aren't deterred by it.
Our bodies do respond universally to things that are bitter. We spit them out because in our hard wiring, bitter signals poison. If given something bitter tasting, a baby makes the same facial expression as do adults.