Your unique body odor could identify who you are and provide insights into your health – all from the touch of a hand
Human scent could one day be used as evidence in forensics and as diagnostic information in medicine.
Vidia A. Gokool, Postdoctoral Researcher, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory •
conversation
Sept. 20, 2023 • ~8 min
Sept. 20, 2023 • ~8 min
Chocolate chemistry – a food scientist explains how the beloved treat gets its flavor, texture and tricky reputation as an ingredient
There’s a lot of interesting science behind the fermenting, roasting, grinding and melting that turns chocolate into the bars, bonbons and baked goods you know and love.
Sheryl Barringer, Professor of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University •
conversation
Feb. 6, 2023 • ~8 min
Feb. 6, 2023 • ~8 min
Why are some people mosquito magnets and others unbothered? A medical entomologist points to metabolism, body odor and mindset
Mosquitoes can track down potential hosts using the CO2 released by humans’ metabolic processes, a medical entomologist explains.
Jonathan Day, Emeritus Professor of Medical Entomology, University of Florida
• conversation
Sept. 9, 2022 • ~7 min
Sept. 9, 2022 • ~7 min
Male butterflies mark their mates with a stench to 'turn off' rival suitors
The stench was once thought to originate from plants, but scientists have now pin-pointed its true origin.
Kathleen Darragh, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of California, Davis •
conversation
Jan. 28, 2021 • ~5 min
Jan. 28, 2021 • ~5 min
Synthetic odors created by activating brain cells help neuroscientists understand how smell works
Brains recognize a smell based on which cells fire, in what order – the same way you recognize a song based on its pattern of notes. How much can you change the 'tune' and still know the smell?
Edmund Chong, Ph.D. Student in Neuroscience, New York University •
conversation
July 8, 2020 • ~8 min
July 8, 2020 • ~8 min
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