RockefellerUniversity
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Crowdsourced research predicts what molecules smell like
As of now, the only way to tell how something smells is to actually take a sniff. That is to say, there's no observable, scientific measure we know of that can predict how we'll perceive a specific odor. In comparison, things are a little more cut and dried with sights and sounds; because humans use wavelengths to process what they see and hear, we generally agree on, say, how we expect a specific color to look. But scientists now seem to be making progress on the olfactory front: New crowdsourced research has brought scientists closer to predicting a molecule's smell based solely on its chemical properties.
Rockefeller University scientists figure out how to see smells
We already knew that select scientists were working up an advanced electronic nose, but now a team at Rockefeller University has apparently figured out a way to actually see smells. Supposedly, these gurus closely investigated fly larvae and found that sensing odors "in stereo" enabled flies to navigate to smells much more effectively than when only one olfactory organ was used. As they studied said phenomenon, the researchers used a "novel spectroscopic technique that exploited infrared light to create environments where they could see, control and precisely quantify the distribution of these smells." Impressive though this may be, we still prefer the ole GPS method to locating our favorite fare, but beholding those delightful aromas could certainly help out in a pinch.[Via Physorg, image courtesy of Noendo]
