• Date: July 11, 2020
• Location: Virtual Google Meet party
• Participants: Chris, Dave, Elaine, Heather, Jenna,Jo, Keira, Matt B, Megan, Rachel, Roberto, Tyler

Introduction

We wanted to know if you can tell the difference between the colors (flavors) of several different candies.

Method

The testing for each candy brand (Skittles, Starburst, Gummy Bears, etc.) started by having a reporter determine the distribution of colors found in a package and then normalizing the distribution. The candy to be used was then put in a receptacle and shaken to ensure an even mix. The person guessing (the guesser) was not told how many of each color were in the sample. The blindfolded guesser would then draw a test candy from the receptacle, taste the candy, and then try to guess the color of the candy. The reporter noted the color of the candy, the color guessed, and any comments the guesser wanted to share (eg. “not confident at all, on verge of emotional breakdown, palette clense”). Each guesser sampled 15 candies of a given brand.

Table 1. Number of people that tested each candy.

Candy	Number
Skittles	12
Starburst	8
Gummy Bears	3

Results

Skittles

Surprisingly, three people had a color missing from their tasting sample. One person did not draw a single red, and two people did not draw a single purple.

Starburst

Gummy bears

Sour Patch Kids