Food wasn’t always tuned. Every home had a microdoser, perched like a sacred totem in the center of the dining table. The plunger, shaped like a volume knob, ready to control the chemistry of dinner with the precision of a neurosurgeon, perched on the dining table. Juno adjusted the rack of vials, each glowing faintly with color-coded nutrients, neurotransmitters, synthetic alkaloids, and psycho-emotional enhancers. It was her turn to tune dinner. Her father liked it sharp. Her sister? Dreamy. Her mother hadn’t tuned in months. Juno picked up a tip with the microdoser. The click of the seal engaging felt satisfying and the sound was enough to shift everyone’s attention to Juno’s hands. She hovered over the vials. Adjusted the knob based on yesterday’s settings. FOCUS: +0.25µl (L-theanine, citicoline, huperzine-A) CALM: +0.75µl (GABA, lavender terpene blend) VISION: +0.25µl (Lutein, zeaxanthin, nano-Vitamin A) ANTIOXIDANT: +0.20 µl (Resveratrol, EGCG, astaxanthin) SATIETY: +0.10µl(5-HTP micro-beads) IMMUNITY: +0.50 µl (Nano-Vit C, liposomal Vit D3 + K2, zinc ions) JOY: She hesitated over JOY. The vial was almost empty. Grey market vials had doubled in price since a new round of unsanctioned emotional additives were banned. But tonight was special. Push. Juno’s thumb descended with an extended soft click. A single microdroplet into the middle of her dish. The table vibrated slightly as aromatic molecules spread throughout the room. Forks started moving in near-religious silence. By the third bite, her father’s eyes were locked. Hyper-focused on his plate. Her sister giggled, head slightly tilted toward the wall as if she was listening to a humming wall. Even her mother stirred slightly in her chair. Juno observed as the effects of tonight’s tuning took hold. The room was silent, each soaking in their own sensations. She knew the delicate balance would soon drift, as the compounds interacted with their food, brain, and body. This ritual, a rarity just a few years ago, had become the new normal in their household and their neighbors and their neighbor’s neighbors. Microdoser 5000 is a complete microdosing kit designed to dispense precise volumes of various fluids at the dinner table. It includes a custom micropipette, replacement tips, liquid vials, and a pipette tip disposal unit. All components are neatly stored within a stack of aluminum vessels. Created for the group exhibition Table Top displayed at Driveway and Collectible Table Top is a group exhibition curated by Allan Wexler and Michael Yarinsky of Tangible Space. Table Top showcases works that challenge and expand conventional notions of eating, food presentation, and the rituals that surround dining. Artists and designers present objects that could redefine our interaction with food and the table. Tableware will be displayed upon a conceptual dining table by Allan Wexler. Photo Credit: Alec Kugler
