Humans have a greater sense of smell than previously thought

Posted on Dec 20th 2006 10:56AM by Brian White

Filed Under: Organic, Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health

We all know that certain animals like dogs have an incredible sense of smell -- but how about humans? In a new study, it was found that humans can track a scent trail across a field -- with all their other senses blocked.

These new finding, which were just published in Nature Neuroscience, suggest the human sense of smell doesn't get enough credit. Perhaps it is not given enough credit because we compare ourselves to other species that have high tolerances for scent accuracy.

In this study, 46 healthy young adults aged 18 to 26 were studied as they wore masks that blocked their vision; earmuffs that screened out sounds; and gloves, knee pads and elbow pads to mute their sense of touch.

Even with all that, they crawled on their hands and knees in an open field to try to find and follow a scent trail -- and after several trials, the "trained" participants easily located the scent they had been trained on.

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28 Comment

Tags: Scents, Sense of smell, SenseOfSmell, Smells

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Shirley 12-21-2006 @ 11:08AM

My sense of smell is incredible, in fact it is too active! I can smell a person's dirty hair, if unwashed, when passing them in a store. I can smell alcohol on them if they've been drinking. Too much perfume on someone gives me an instant headache! Cigarette smoke is another source of an instant headache. It is a curse having such a keen sense of smell!

Stephanie 12-27-2006 @ 8:16AM

anyone can smell that stuff, youre not special

chrisb 12-27-2006 @ 8:06PM

I can smell a fart does that count?

susan 12-28-2006 @ 9:04AM

to Stephanie: yes most of us can smell those things Shirley stated.
in high school, the kids came to me to find out what was for lunch, just by my ability to distinguish the scents.
however, Shirley stated she got instant headaches from a couple of odors, and i think that's toward the top of the 'scent scale'. ease up, the day is young.

Melissa 12-27-2006 @ 10:02AM

gee with all the other problems in the world... im glad it's been confirmed yet again that once you take away all the other senses..... others become more sensitive...... now i'll be able to sleep at night... what a waste of time and money.

Linda 12-27-2006 @ 9:56AM

I have an amazing sense of smell...and hearing. I could be asleep...but then I smells something a little off...so I walk from my bedroom to my kitchen, and the dogs have gotten into the trash can! My husband is always like, "That's amazing. How in the world can you smell that?!"

matthew 12-27-2006 @ 10:56AM

Does this study imply that humans can be trained to sniff for drugs like dogs are?

Cakes 12-27-2006 @ 10:23AM

Wow Shirley you can smell BO, perfume and cigarette smoke on people around you. Wow you are truly incredible. Perhaps the lost link to what we can achieve! Shirley, here is a cookie just for you. @@

What a stupid study. Now why is this so important that the money for this study couldn't be put into cancer research?

Neva 12-27-2006 @ 7:27PM

My sense of smell is also extraordinary. I can smell the usual "offenders" such as perfume and cigarette smoke. But I can also tell where my kids have been (or for that matter whose car they have been in) as soon as they walk through the door. I often say things like "youv'e been to Joe's house" (Joe's dad is a mechanic) or "So, how is Anne?" (Anne has an in-door Siberian Husky). It drives my kids crazy!!!!! I also have a theory that certain "ages" smell different. I will tease that "all 6 year old smell alike" or "she smells about mid 40's". I can tell if a baby is formula or breast fed as well. It is a skill I have never found much use for except to induce my kids to say "Mom, you're just weird"!

lc 12-27-2006 @ 10:28AM

Yeah, it bites. I have a too keen sense of smell too. Gets on my nerves when I can smell every single thing that someone next to me cant. But oh well...

Brandy 12-27-2006 @ 10:43AM

thats amazing...those of you with the power of super smell should get a golden nose award. i dont want to brag but.. i have sniffed out a few foul smells myself! nothing on the level of trash in the middle of the night ravished by dogs but you know a couple of times my husband had flatuance and i smelled it right away, he said wow! thats amazing how did you smell that!

Robert 12-27-2006 @ 10:59AM

#4 nobody can smell when they are sleeping, that is why we have to have smoke alarms. You were probably up with your eyes closed for you to smell the trash. I also agree with Melissa that this was an utter waste of time and money. They should use those people to sniff out bombs for our soldiers in Iraq.

Max 12-27-2006 @ 11:08AM

Yeah and I can smell stuff like 600 miles away

Robert 12-27-2006 @ 2:32PM

Sorry Melissa, I meant #3

beth 12-27-2006 @ 11:15AM

man you guys are jerks! haha. but seriously i think a lot of times we believe that we sense things more keenly than other people but really there are only some people who can't. i usually just smell things that aren't there. weird.

Pete 12-27-2006 @ 11:44AM

Well, SNIFF THIS!!

Pete 12-27-2006 @ 11:47AM

Well, SNIFF THIS!!

S. V. 12-30-2006 @ 11:21PM

Great comments, great sarcasm. It's random, seemingly insignificant studies like this one, though, that can eventually contribute to a bigger issue which is significant. The sense of smell is a huge area of research right now, involving many medical issues. Also, beg to differ, #9. You can smell while you're asleep. Your sense of smell goes into action each time you inhale, which is approx. 23,000 a day. Some people just sleep more soundly than others.

Alaina 12-27-2006 @ 12:06PM

I can smell dog poop from a mile away. And can identify preservatives by scent.But that's because I had a concussion when I was a young kid which made me forever smell way too much. It sucks.

anonymous 12-27-2006 @ 7:24PM

Yes, it is true that the money and time spent on this study could have been put to better use. However, I disagree that the study was useless and a waste. We know relatively little about the world we live in, the bodies we inhabit, and the sky we look up into. Many of us, myself included, go through life without trying to uncover some of life's hidden gems of knowledge. We all wish that we (as humans in general) could find the cure for cancer and other such medical miracles. However, the world sadly has many faults. There is disease, poverty, war, genocide, etc. The world will never be perfect, but that does not mean we should stop trying to make it so. The people who conducted this study weren't doing it to steal money and time that could be put into cancer research. There is so much we don't know about the world. Knowledge for knowledge's sake isn't bad. No, it may not be the best use of money and time, but knowledge is never useless or a waste. The world is imperfect in so many ways, but why verbally attack those who try to make it better in small ways?

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