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Articles on Odor

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The scent emitted from your hands could offer clues about who you are. Siro Rodenas Cortes/Moment via Getty Images

Your unique body odor could identify who you are and provide insights into your health – all from the touch of a hand

Human scent could one day be used as evidence in forensics and as diagnostic information in medicine.
The compact olfactory system provides a more accessible way to study the brain as a whole. Esther Kok/EyeEm via Getty Images

From odor to action – how smells are processed in the brain and influence behavior

Understanding how the brain translates smells into behavior change can help advance search and rescue technology and treatments for neurological conditions.
Cookies taste so good. Smell tells us that before we even take a bite. How? Jennifer Pallian/Unsplash

What makes something smell good or bad?

Mmmmmmm. That smells delicious. Wait, how do you know that?
Need a handkerchief? Num LP Photo/Shutterstock

Why do onions make you cry?

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.
Your nose knows what’s on the way. Lucy Chian/Unsplash

Why you can smell rain

A weather expert explains where petrichor – that pleasant, earthy scent that accompanies a storm’s first raindrops – comes from.
One of the signature fragrances of spring comes after the consumption of asparagus. Anton G

That distinctive springtime smell: Asparagus pee

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.
The smell of daffodils is a treat for most people, but some cannot experience the joy because they have lost their sense of smell. Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock.com

Can you pass this smell test?

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.

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