Smell
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We've all heard "to follow one's nose" when it comes to trusting your gut. Now, scientists have found that the brain does exactly this, when previously unknown decision-making time cells fire up and evoke a rapid physical response to certain smells.
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When we’re sick, we produce compounds that waft around us that dogs can smell. Over the years, the number of diseases that dogs can detect has grown. Here are eight diseases that our furry friends are particularly good at sniffing out.
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While we've seen multiple attempts to produce real-world odors in VR environments, many have involved cumbersome wearable devices. Chinese scientists have developed a much more streamlined system, which is applied to the skin below the user's nose.
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Our ancestors probably didn’t smell good, but did they smell well? A new study has grown odor receptors from Neanderthals and Denisovans, and tested their sensitivities to different smells compared to modern humans.
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While we've heard about a number of "electronic noses," the devices are rarely as sensitive as their natural counterparts. That's why Israeli scientists have taken a new approach, by incorporating a locust antenna into an odor-identifying robot.
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A new study is presenting evidence suggesting viral infections in the olfactory system can accelerate the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The research looked at the relationship between markers of infections and neurodegeneration in the hippocampus.
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For decades, inventors have pursued the concept of adding "smell-o-vision" to movies or TV shows. Swedish scientists have now created such a system for use in VR gaming, and it could actually help people regain their lost sense of smell.
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Having been domesticated many thousands of years ago, dogs have evolved to become highly attuned to human behavior, but a study from scientists at Queen's University Belfast has taken this concept into new terrain.
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A compelling new study suggests we tend to make friends with people who smell the same as us. Across a series of experiments the researchers found volunteers interacted more positively with strangers who shared similar body odor qualities.
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A fascinating new study suggests trained ants could be an effective way to detect cancer in humans. The researchers demonstrated a certain species of ant can be quickly trained to detect cancerous cells with an accuracy equal to that seen in dogs.
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If mosquitoes seem to love you but ignore the person sitting next to you, the color of your clothes might be to blame. New experiments reveal that certain colors attract hungry mosquitoes, which could be used to design new traps or repellents.
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We've already seen devices that allow users to create their own custom-color lipsticks and fingernail polish patterns. It should come as no surprise, then, that there's now a system for creating your own custom-scented perfume, whenever the mood strikes.
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