Great, Andrew! I really appreciate the way you “translated” the science of smell.
Reverence for the sense of smell is more important than ever as our environments warm and viruses spread more quickly.
When I lived in Rhode Island, my dog (nose to the ground- Dachshund) got epilepsy from the run off of my neighbor’s weed killer. I researched some great science writing (e.g. Candice Pert). We moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Baron Valdi lived a long life without medication.🐾
Oh wow! Please post pics of Baron Valdi on Notes and tag me when you get a chance! I like to remember the dozen or so Dachshund fur-babies I've gotten to know well over the last 15 years or so. <3
I never appreciated my sense of smell until I met my partner. He lost his sense of smell as a result of a motorcycle accident. It makes me so sad that he can’t smell bread baking, or lilacs, or good BBQ. He misses so many wonderful aromas and it affects his sense of taste somewhat as well. Our new puppy on the other hand is memorizing our neighborhood by smells. He especially enjoys the spots where each of them parks their trash containers on garbage pick up day.
There is one odor that I truly enjoy encountering outdoors; creosote. It is locked to, and triggers vague early childhood memories of a trip to Six Flags over Texas. It was so much fun and has stayed with me for more than 50 years.
When I read more about doggies and their advanced olfactory system and how sniffing is just as stimulating as exercising, I started to let Sterling really get his sniff on during our walks, especially when we can’t go far.
There are rare individuals who are considered “supersmellers”
I’ve read their self-reported ability to determine the content of the soil in different areas simply by how “chalky” the air smells for example. iirc, One guy said he knew his partner cheated because he could smell his friend’s leftover scent a WEEK after they had sex.
Now THAT is a superpower!
Also I left out my favorite few scents:
1. Cardamom
2. Saffron
3. Petrichor! (the smell after rain, it comes from microbes in the soil)
Loved this post, I am a HUGE fan of the sense of smell!
I am currently trying to train my nose to be better (there is research that I can link if interested demonstrating the ability to strengthen the sense of smell)
I tried this process a few years ago for less time and saw anecdotal improvement but one is very objective for me: when I started, I couldn’t remember the scent of something the way I remember it’s taste. Now, I can remember exactly how many things smell. As if I’m actually smelling them (reminds me of Aphantasia! Sasha Cohen recently did an article about how he fixed his aphantasia with a regimen of practices)
Also, notably I’ve developed phantosmia, which is basically where my nose hallucinates lol. It got really bad after getting Covid but essentially I smell things that aren’t there, and it’s gotten to the point where often I taste what isn’t there too lol
Thx for the article! Might be inspired now to write up about my experiment sometime! :)
Yes! Write that sucker up. I bet others would be really interested in hearing about this. If it's helpful, feel free to tag me in the piece so some of my folks see it too. Could be a really good one!
"Reading the newspaper" - Hah! Love that! When cats sniff each other's back ends, it looks more like a judge preparing to deliver a verdict: "Do you smell like someone who is presently digesting a rodent, an avian, or Whiskas? I will rank you in my hierarchy accordingly." I am glad to read about the sense of smell on this autumn day when a friendly seasonal virus has absconded with mine. It's a good day to use a public restroom, I guess.
I think a lot about scent and the act of smelling whether voluntary or involuntary. I often wonder, can a bear smell me right now or do dogs perceive scent the same way we do?
I think it's super interesting to imagine how differently a dog sees things than us. I know that no 2 humans really think the same way; imagine how different the way they process information is! Wild stuff.
You might be closer to right than me. I know there are both components present and it really is an exchange of information, but I don't know everything that's swapped back and forth. I suspect it's more complex than we currently think.
The best image of this is the idea that when you smell a fart you are literally sampling airborne fecal matter.
Tiny little poop missiles smashing into your nose innards!
Great, Andrew! I really appreciate the way you “translated” the science of smell.
Reverence for the sense of smell is more important than ever as our environments warm and viruses spread more quickly.
When I lived in Rhode Island, my dog (nose to the ground- Dachshund) got epilepsy from the run off of my neighbor’s weed killer. I researched some great science writing (e.g. Candice Pert). We moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Baron Valdi lived a long life without medication.🐾
Oh wow! Please post pics of Baron Valdi on Notes and tag me when you get a chance! I like to remember the dozen or so Dachshund fur-babies I've gotten to know well over the last 15 years or so. <3
I never appreciated my sense of smell until I met my partner. He lost his sense of smell as a result of a motorcycle accident. It makes me so sad that he can’t smell bread baking, or lilacs, or good BBQ. He misses so many wonderful aromas and it affects his sense of taste somewhat as well. Our new puppy on the other hand is memorizing our neighborhood by smells. He especially enjoys the spots where each of them parks their trash containers on garbage pick up day.
Two opposite extremes, and great examples! Dogs love garbage SO MUCH.
I envy the enhanced senses of dogs. They almost seem like superpowers- so, in my fiction, I created some that actually ARE superheroes.
Not all heroes poop indoors!
"That’s right! Molecules gradually leave an environment, but not all at once. Dogs can use these clues to understand when something happened."
cool!
Fave odors:
#1: Bacon
There is one odor that I truly enjoy encountering outdoors; creosote. It is locked to, and triggers vague early childhood memories of a trip to Six Flags over Texas. It was so much fun and has stayed with me for more than 50 years.
Interesting! I don't think I have creosote as one of my own smell triggers, but there are others like this, mostly stemming from earlier memories.
More posts with dogs!!
When I read more about doggies and their advanced olfactory system and how sniffing is just as stimulating as exercising, I started to let Sterling really get his sniff on during our walks, especially when we can’t go far.
I love it. A little knowledge can really change your routine!
And yes, more dogs.
Ok last fun fact:
There are rare individuals who are considered “supersmellers”
I’ve read their self-reported ability to determine the content of the soil in different areas simply by how “chalky” the air smells for example. iirc, One guy said he knew his partner cheated because he could smell his friend’s leftover scent a WEEK after they had sex.
Now THAT is a superpower!
Also I left out my favorite few scents:
1. Cardamom
2. Saffron
3. Petrichor! (the smell after rain, it comes from microbes in the soil)
That post-rain smell is great!
Also a fun fact (or sad really) is that loss of sense of smell is considered the first warning sign for future Alzheimer’s
It’s also a significant risk factor for depression (which when chronic is *also* a risk factor for future Alzheimer’s)
Loved this post, I am a HUGE fan of the sense of smell!
I am currently trying to train my nose to be better (there is research that I can link if interested demonstrating the ability to strengthen the sense of smell)
I tried this process a few years ago for less time and saw anecdotal improvement but one is very objective for me: when I started, I couldn’t remember the scent of something the way I remember it’s taste. Now, I can remember exactly how many things smell. As if I’m actually smelling them (reminds me of Aphantasia! Sasha Cohen recently did an article about how he fixed his aphantasia with a regimen of practices)
Also, notably I’ve developed phantosmia, which is basically where my nose hallucinates lol. It got really bad after getting Covid but essentially I smell things that aren’t there, and it’s gotten to the point where often I taste what isn’t there too lol
Thx for the article! Might be inspired now to write up about my experiment sometime! :)
Yes! Write that sucker up. I bet others would be really interested in hearing about this. If it's helpful, feel free to tag me in the piece so some of my folks see it too. Could be a really good one!
Coffee, bacon, frying onions, cinnamon and babies. Babies little heads are the best!
Haha, everything there is edible except babies... should I be worried, Susan?
"Reading the newspaper" - Hah! Love that! When cats sniff each other's back ends, it looks more like a judge preparing to deliver a verdict: "Do you smell like someone who is presently digesting a rodent, an avian, or Whiskas? I will rank you in my hierarchy accordingly." I am glad to read about the sense of smell on this autumn day when a friendly seasonal virus has absconded with mine. It's a good day to use a public restroom, I guess.
Gah! Viruses, amirite? We've had enough of them.
I think you have nailed down the essence of cats in a nutshell!
Yes! 😂
I think a lot about scent and the act of smelling whether voluntary or involuntary. I often wonder, can a bear smell me right now or do dogs perceive scent the same way we do?
I think it's super interesting to imagine how differently a dog sees things than us. I know that no 2 humans really think the same way; imagine how different the way they process information is! Wild stuff.
So then dogs sniffing each other's butts is basically WhatsApp or Messenger?
They've been doing this way before it was cool!
I think it's more like Tinder or Grindr, but yes.
Interesting. I was under the impression that sniffing butts was often just a hello among friends and not necessarily about getting it on.
You might be closer to right than me. I know there are both components present and it really is an exchange of information, but I don't know everything that's swapped back and forth. I suspect it's more complex than we currently think.
Let's just agree it's their version of MySpace and leave it at that!
Yeah- there's that...