What distinguishes a human's sense of smell from a dog's? Humans aren't as refined and skilled at tracking as dogs. However, a recent scientific study suggests that humans can still use their noses to sniff out their way in the dark.
Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, investigated the navigational capabilities of the human sense of smell. They discovered that, like carrier pigeons, humans have a "nose" for navigation. This is because our brains are trained to convert odors into spatial information.
Olfactory superpower
The results seem to suggest that olfaction is a remarkable superpower, comparable to the olfactory home system. Researchers have demonstrated that we can find our way back to a location whose scent we've already smelled. Lead author Lucia Jacobs argues that humans are capable of orienting themselves along olfactory paths and navigating them using only their sense of smell.
The scientific basis of the navigational side of olfaction
The process of smelling is triggered by odor molecules traveling through the nasal passages. There, they are identified by receptors, which send signals to the olfactory bulb (located between the nasal cavity and the frontal lobe of the brain). This, in turn, processes information. The key to connecting smell,
memory , and navigation is the fact that the olfactory bulb is closely linked to the hippocampus, which creates spatial maps of our environment. Smell serves as a backdrop to our world, of which we are not fully aware, but which we use for orientation. For example, we might not see a plant when we walk past it at night, but our brain encodes its scent and creates a map.
Orientation by smell
Twenty-four young people were recruited for the experiment. Their orientation and navigation abilities were tested during various scenarios in which their hearing, vision, or smell were blocked. The experiment was conducted in a room containing 32 foam containers placed at points around the perimeter of the room. Two of these containers were impregnated with essential oils.
Participants, blindfolded, wearing earplugs and headphones, were led into the room one at a time. They were then spun in circles to disorient them. Each participant spent one minute at a specific point on the grate, where they inhaled a combination of two odors. After walking in circles again (the goal was disorientation), they were instructed to smell their way back to the starting point.
Participants
found their way relatively close
to the target location when
using only their sense of smell . Furthermore, to navigate to the target point, they followed not only one scent but also used information from both scents.
