'Quantum Sense Of Smell' Theory Gains Traction
Maras, Sniffing It Out Jastrow via WikimediaResearchers are still at odds over what mechanisms really lend us our olfactory sense. Our olfactory power is pretty central to our sensory perception--our sense of taste relies heavily on it and as an evolutionary survival mechanism it has been and still is a powerful tool. Yet, there's a lot we don't understand about how it works, or at least a lot that, despite everything we know, we are not exactly sure about. And a new study that offers some backing to a controversial theory about a quantum effect that actually rules our olfactory sense has ginned up a renewed debate surrounding the science of smell. Our sense of smell is largely understood to result from the shapes of the molecules in the air that we inhale. According to this notion, which enjoys broad scientific support, receptors in our nose that are tuned to these...