Tag Archives: olfaction

Cool Jobs: Delving into dung

Wood’s colleague, Janet Wilmshurst, studies a piece of moa poop. Credit: Jamie Wood

Scientists uncover fascinating secrets through the study of animal feces

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When the nose no longer knows

Clown fish raised in acidified waters don’t respond properly to smells. For example, they swim toward the scent of a predator instead of away from it. Credit: Simon Foale, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Pollution can endanger aquatic animals by damaging their sense of smell

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Learning in your sleep

Your brain is so eager to learn that it does so even while you sleep, scientists recently found. Credit: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Sleeping people can be taught to make connections between sounds and smells

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Cool Jobs: Scents of science

Humpback whales sometimes breach, or leap into the air. Some scientists believe the behavior allows the marine mammals to smell scents wafting over the water.
Credit: NOAA

Better understanding of the sense of smell inspires research into everything from whales to electronic ‘noses’

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