Scientists are experimenting with using dogs to sniff out people infected with COVID-19. But dogs aren’t the only animals with a nose for disease.
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Articles on Odor
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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?
Like many plants, onions have defenses to ward off creatures that may want to eat them. Their secret weapon is a kind of natural tear gas.
A weather expert explains where petrichor – that pleasant, earthy scent that accompanies a storm’s first raindrops – comes from.
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.
Our senses of taste and smell are linked to one another in ways that experts are continuing to explore. See if you can answer some questions for which experts have discovered some surprising answers.
Top contributors
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Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida
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Research Scientist in Epidemiology, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University
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Instructional Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University
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Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Extension Agency, Agriculture – Horticulture, North Carolina State University
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Research Assistant, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Research Associate, Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Ph.D. Student in Neuroscience, New York University
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Research Scientist/Scholar I, Colorado State University
