Our Sense of Smell Doesn't Actually Stink (Originally aired: June 17, 2017)

Our Sense of Smell Doesn't Actually Stink (Originally aired: June 17, 2017)Top of Mind with Julie Rose • Season 1, Episode 759, Segment 4

Mar 2, 2018 • 20m

Guest: John McGann, PhD, Associate Professor, Behavioral and System Neuroscience, Rutgers University You know how certain odors can trigger memories—maybe you smell your mother’s perfume in a department store, and it takes you way back? Or maybe a whiff of popcorn reminds you of baseball games when you were a kid? Even so, we’ve long been told that our human sense of smell is nothing compared to other mammals like dogs. But Rutgers University psychology professor John McGann says that’s just a myth. Our sense of smell is just as good – though maybe a little different.

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