We can probably safely assume Rome, in many areas, was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. That said, there’s evidence of perfumes, incense and even deodorants.
Articles on Olfactory
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If your cat spends a very long time sniffing something, it means the thing is unfamiliar.
Inflammation and damage to the olfactory system from shingles, COVID-19 and herpes infections may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
Mosquitoes can track down potential hosts using the CO2 released by humans’ metabolic processes, a medical entomologist explains.
Brains recognize a smell based on which cells fire, in what order – the same way you recognize a song based on its pattern of notes. How much can you change the ‘tune’ and still know the smell?
Mmmmmmm. That smells delicious. Wait, how do you know that?
Patients who later test positive for COVID-19 are reporting early loss of smell and taste. Researchers are now trying to understand if this could be an early sign of the disease.
The parts of the brain that get ‘smell signals’ from the nose also do other things, such as storing memories or provoking emotions. That is why some smells can bring back old memories.
Perhaps you’ve noticed something unusual in the bathroom after you consume this healthy spring vegetable. A Speed Read explains there’s two parts to the stinky puzzle: production and perception.
Move over, dogs. The latest evidence suggests humans can match most other animals when it comes to smelling – and even outperform them for certain scents.
Honey bees are in decline and the current method of keeping them can be disruptive to a colony. But new designs allow beekeepers to monitor a hive remotely, even sniff out disease and pests.
Familiar everyday odours such as coffee and red wine are produced by a blend of different substances. Given that we know aroma is nothing but a mix of volatile chemicals, can we understand them enough…
Top contributors
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Professor of Strategic Design, Queensland University of Technology
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Lecturer, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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Senior Research Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
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Research Scientist in Epidemiology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University
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Professor and Associate Dean Research of Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, Queensland University of Technology
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Professor of Psychology, University of Stirling
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Senior Lecturer- School of Biomedical Sciences and Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland
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Associate Professor, Chief of the Division of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery, Co-Director UF Health Smell Disorders Program, University of Florida
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Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz
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Research Assistant, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Ph.D. Student in Neuroscience, New York University
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Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology, University of Colorado Anschutz
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Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida
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Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz