Posted by Robin
on
9 August 2010
Whether it is the whiff of a woman’s perfume that takes your mind back to an ex-girlfriend, or a song that defines a moment in your life, the strong connection between senses and memory has long intrigued scientists.
However, a study has found that when we smell or hear something during an emotional experience, the odour or sound is woven together with the memory in the same region of the brain.
— From Smells linked to memories 'because they are stored in same part of brain' at the Telegraph. Many thanks to Ruth for the link!
Posted by Robin
on
16 April 2010
Using a device called an eNose, a group of Israeli neurobiologists were able to rank smells by pleasantness. They tested dozens of smells on people in Israel and Ethiopia (two very different cultural groups) in order to determine whether these good smells were universal or culturally specific. What they found was that many smells are universally rated as good or bad.
— Top ranked scents include lime and grapefruit. Read more at Scientists Discover Five Things That Smell Good To Nearly Everyone. Thanks to Jane for the link!
Posted by Robin
on
16 April 2010
In the not too distant future the majority of readers might read their books electronically, on Kindles, iPads, and the like. In the meantime, though, the paper kind populates bookstores and libraries. And the older a book is, the smellier it is. The World’s Alex Gallafent explores those odors for us.
— A quick radio piece at PRI about Matija Strlic, who as you might remember is developing a way to measure the decomposition of books via their smell. Listen (or read the transcript) at The sweet smell of literature. Many thanks to Andrea for the link!
Posted by Robin
on
14 April 2010
Flavor chemists have found that cilantro aroma is created by a half-dozen or so substances, and most of these are modified fragments of fat molecules called aldehydes. The same or similar aldehydes are also found in soaps and lotions and the bug family of insects.
— From The Curious Cook: Cilantro Haters, It’s Not Your Fault at the New York Times. Many thanks to Fleur for the link!
Posted by Robin
on
28 March 2010
In a five-year study aimed at creating a "smell demography" of New York City, [Leslie Vosshall] said they subjected hundreds of volunteers found through Craigslist to intensive smell testing and found that the most pleasant scent, across groups, is vanilla.
The worst: Isovaleric acid, most commonly associated with eau de sweaty sock.
— From Volunteers Amble Through Olfactory Jungle Of NYC at CBS News.
