Posts Tagged Science
UK Ministry of Defence trains with scent
In an effort to prepare soldiers for life in a war zone, the UK’s Minstry of Defence is developing a video game training system that incorporates scent. According to the developers, troops reported arriving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and being overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells. The sensory training aims to familiarize the soldiers’ senses with the authentic stimuli they’ll encounter when they’re deployed. The scent machine aspect includes smells like charred rubber, rotting vegetables, spices, sewage, and body odor, each released by the machine at the appropriate times in the video game simulation.
Read more at BBC News
Add comment November 9, 2008
London scent event Nov. 19
The Royal Institution of Great Britain presents:
“The science of scent: a feast for the nose.”
Location: 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS
The allure of perfume has existed for generations. Whilst many people may wear perfume, few probably know about the fascinating science inside the bottle.
This event will begin with an introductory talk in the theatre on olfactory science and perfume. How do we smell? Where do perfume ingredients come from and how has this changed throughout the ages, as science and technology have advanced? How many scented materials are there in the world and how many of them do we remember?
And what about the highly skilled people who concoct these amazing scents and potions? Are perfumers born with better noses than the rest of us?
Later on in the evening there will be an opportunity to sample different perfumery ingredients, accords and perfumes, experiencing first-hand their composition under the watchful guidance of an experienced perfumer.
The event includes odour evaluation, so please refrain from wearing strong scent
TIckets available via The Royal Institution’s web site
Add comment October 18, 2008
MIT scientists one step closer to artificial nose
MIT researchers report they’ve finally mass produced olfactory receptor proteins — molecules that can smell. Many researchers across the world have been working on e-noses, but the MIT research is based in the biology of the human nose. Previous efforts to make large numbers of artificial receptors have failed because the protein’s structure breaks down when it’s removed from the mucus membrane. The MIT team developed a protective detergent solution that allowed mass production of the molecules. Possible applications for artificial nose technology include sniffing for disease, environmental pollutants, and bacteria.
Read more in BBC
Add comment October 2, 2008
Dreams influenced by olfactory stimuli
German researchers have found that the emotional qualities of dreams are influenced by olfactory stimuli. According to the study presented at a recent Otolaryngology meeting, the smell of rotten eggs gave subjects bad dreams, while the smell of roses gave good dreams. The scents were dispersed while subjects slept, and the quality of the dreams was reported by the subjects upon waking. This study is the first of its kind, and researchers say it points to the possibility of therapy involving “nocturnal olfactory stimulation.”
Read more at Lab Spaces
Add comment September 26, 2008
Gamblers spend more in scented casinos
New research about scent marketing seem to be popping up all over. Salon.com’s recent piece about scent marketing mentions some interesting studies I hadn’t heard about. In one study, a floral scent was dispersed in a specific area of a casino over the course of a weekend. Gamblers in that area of the casino spent 45% more money that weekend, when other areas of the casino saw the same spending as usual. Yes, 45% more money. Incredible. In another study, a lily-of-the-valley scent was correlated with shoppers having more positive attitudes about pajamas (and buying more). But the scent of sea mist didn’t have such an affect.
Find out more things you didn’t know at salon.com
Add comment September 17, 2008
Electronic noses benefit from polymer-based mucus
British electronic-nose developers have found that adding a mucus layer to their e-nose improves its sniffing ability. Just like the mucus in a human nose, the synthetic mucus used on the e-nose controls the sniffing rate, thereby improving precision and accuracy, as well as length of time required for odor analysis. Some aroma identification that had been challenging for the pre-mucus e-nose, such as distinguishing milk from cream, is now being done with ease. The research team, from the University of Warwick and Leicester University, thinks the mucus-enhanced e-nose could be on sale sometime in 2009. The team is looking into health-care diagnostic uses, including for eye infections, skin diseases and urinary infections.
Read more at Bionic Nose and BBC News
Add comment September 9, 2008
Scent scientist talks in Brooklyn Sept. 3
Folks in the New York City area will be interested in next week’s meeting of The Secret Science Club. Neuroscientist Leslie Vosshall will be talking all about smell. She’s head of Rockefeller University’s Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, as well as an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and her current studies are are all about scent. Dr. Vosshall will be talking about scent, sexual attraction, and global health.
The Secret Science Club
Wed., September 3, 2008
basement of Union Hall
702 Union St. @ 5th Ave
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-638-4400
Doors open at 7:30 p
Lecture at 8
Cost: FREE
More at the Secret Science Club
Add comment August 27, 2008
