How many ice cream flavors do we really need?
The human brain is an amazing thing. It can conceive pyramids, space travel and the Popeil Pocket Fisherman. But when the brain confronts the menu board at ice cream shops, synapses break apart, neurons scatter in chaos, and all functions cease. We stand gaping, unable to pick from the listed flavors–chocolate Jack Daniel’s, mocha almond swirl, lemon anise, cinnamon apple, etc. The human brain can process only a certain amount of information at any one time. More than 1,000 ice cream flavors exist, although we somehow doubt the commercial viability of garlic, avocado, jelly bean or even date-nut pudding ice cream. Baskin Robbins promises 31 flavors. Marble Slab generally offers 18, from the highly popular sweet cream to bubblegum. Milwaukee Joe’s, a mid-cities favorite, lists 20, including a blue concoction called “Disco Lives” that looks like frozen creamed Smurf and tastes like a mouthful of SweeTARTS. “It’s for the kids,” says Emily Bain of Milwaukee Joe’s Southlake location. “Kids
