The Similar Smell of Mice and Men

Whiff! readers know that our individual positive or negative reaction to a given odor is largely influenced by our own culture and personal experience. Germans, for instance, are partial to the aromas of sausage and bleu cheese but dislike that of cypress oil and fermented soybean, while the Read more

More on Endorphin Branding™ and the Proustian Effect

Frequent visitors to this site are no strangers to the Proustian Effect, that infamous literary reference to the power of scent in retrieving memories which lies at the heart of Endorphin Branding™. Likewise, we learned conclusively from this recent German study that our ever-vigilant sense of smell does not sleep when we do. The next logical question to Whiffologists is an obvious one: Can a Proustian memory be created within an unconscious mind?

In a controlled study at Duke University Medical Center, neuroscientists Stephen Shea and Richard Read more

Why We “Change Our Minds”

Scientists have known for some time that adult brains continue to create new nerve cells, but the reason for this has never been clear, until a recent study demonstrated that mature brains need this continuous fresh supply in order to sustain functions like smelling and memory.

After researchers at Japan’s Institute for Virus Research in Kyoto University found a way to identify new cells by inserting a fluorescent protein into adult mice, they discovered that–within the course of a year–almost all nerve cells in the olfactory bulbs had been replaced with new ones. The hippocampus, linked to memory and learning, also showed a number of new nerve cells. A second group of adult Read more

Sweet Dreams are Made of Sniffs

It’s no secret that what we hear while we sleep, deprived of visual stimuli, is often incorporated into our dreams. A euphoric dream fueled by the sound of ocean waves and soft music can take a nightmarish turn for the worse if a wailing siren or barking dog enters the equation. But what about that that other sense which, like hearing, does not rest when we do? Does what we smell while we sleep have the power to guide our dreams?
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Harnessing the Smell of Fear

The release of “alarm molecules” is a subject has been well-researched and well-documented over the years. In Chapter 6 of Whiff!, we learn that “animals experiencing stress and fear produce chemical warning signals that can lead to behavioral and physiological responses in members of the same species. For instance, if a herd member were under attack, the animal would release a scented fear message to the others, warning the entire herd to flee as fast as dominoes may fall.” But what part of the olfactory system of the animal on the receiving end is responsible for detecting this crucial chemical message? The same component which allows them to perceive and identify odorants? Or maybe the vomeronasal organ which serves to detect sexual pheromones?

Neither, confirms a recently-concluded study from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. It’s a third subsystem of the olfactory system, the Grueneberg ganglion, which is responsible for detection of “fear Read more

Paternal In-stinks

Innumerable studies have explored the olfactory bonding between new moms and their babies, but what about new dads? Are they geared to think with their olfactory organs, with respect to their own offspring?

Absolutely, according to a new study by the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison, at least in the case of lower primates. A whiff of his own little tyke will cause a marmoset father’s testosterone levels to drop off, lowering both his tendency toward aggressive behavior and his interest in philandering.

“Essentially, this encourages the father to be there for the child,” says WNPRC staff scientist Dr. Toni Ziegler, whose team conducted the study by isolating experienced male marmoset fathers from their families, then exposing them to either the scent of their own infants or a control scent. Males with no experience as parents were exposed to the same odors. Blood tests taken within 20 minutes of exposure revealed a significant decline in testosterone in every single one of the experienced dads presented with the odor of their own offspring, while the bachelor marmosets were completely indifferent. “We were a little surprised to see testosterone alter like that,” admits Ziegler. “This shows the male is responsive to chemical cues from his infants.”

Testosterone is the most abundant male hormone in primates, including humans. And marmosets, small South American monkeys, were a prime-primate choice for the experiment because they, like humans, tend to place nearly as much parental responsibility on the father as the mother.

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