Sign in Subscribe

sense of smell

There’s a reason backyard barbecue smells like a memory before it tastes like one

National Barbecue Day is on May 16, and the signal arrives before the invitation does. Someone fires up a grill two streets over, and suddenly you are somewhere else, transported to a specific summer, yard or a person standing over smoke with tongs in hand. That response is not sentiment

Toddlers can remember smells from the womb

Toddlers can remember smells from the womb

By Stephen Beech Toddlers can remember vegetable smells from the womb, according to a new study. Three-year-olds are less likely to react negatively to the smell of vegetables they were repeatedly exposed to before birth, say scientists. They believe their findings could help establish healthier eating habits in

Scientists develop first-ever ‘smell map’ of receptors in noses

Scientists develop first-ever ‘smell map’ of receptors in noses

By Stephen Beech The first-ever "smell map" has been created to sniff out exactly how the sense works. The detailed diagram of receptors in the nose could lead to better treatments for people who have lost their sense of smell, say scientists. The map now matches similar

Brain of flying reptile’s ancestor rebuilt to find out how they took flight

Brain of flying reptile’s ancestor rebuilt to find out how they took flight

By Stephen Beech The brain of a 233-million-year-old ancestor of the first flying reptiles has been reconstructed in a bid to work out how they took flight. Scientists say Venetoraptor was around 13 inches (33 centimeters) tall and had a beak and scythe-like claws on long