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Welcome to Brain Stuff, a production of IHeartRadio.

Hey, Brain Stuff, Lauren Boglebaum here.

In the wake of disasters like earthquakes, when people may be injured and trapped by debris,

there are often international search and rescue efforts.

Teams include structural engineers, doctors, logistics personnel, technical search specialists, and dogs.

Today, let's talk about how search and rescue dogs and their human handlers train to help these teams save lives.

Experts estimate that a single search-and-rescue dog can search the same area as about 50 people on foot could, and in far less time.

Time is always an issue in search and rescue. In an avalanche, for instance, statistics

show that more than 90% of people buried in snow can be rescued alive if they're dug out

within 15 minutes. However, after 45 minutes, only 20 to 30% of victims will be found alive,

and after two hours, almost no one will.

That means search and rescue dogs are invaluable in locating people alive when time is critical.

A trained dog can locate a human being within a 500 meter radius, that's some 1,600 feet,

find a dead body underwater, or locate evidence like a human tooth

or an article of clothing at crime scenes, all by focusing on the smell of a human being.

We humans are smelly creatures. We're constantly shedding a combination of dead skin cells,

molecules of hygiene products, dried sweat,

the bacteria and fungi that live with us, and various hormones and enzymes.

This combination makes up tiny flakes called rafts, which smell distinctly human.

Everyone's skin rafts smell unique, which is how a search and rescue dog can

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