Smells Humans Are Ridiculously Good At Detecting

The Rest Is Science

Goalhanger

Science, Physics, Mathematics

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 January 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Right now, you’re breathing in. As you inhale, air rushes past millions of sensory receptors, activating the part of your brain responsible for smell. And yet, there’s one scent you’ll never notice: the very nose you’re breathing through, because humans are smell blind to themselves. Today, Professor Hannah Fry and VSauce's Michael Stevens explore the mechanics of perinasal chemosensation, otherwise known as smell.They explore how the Victorians sidelined the sense, why we’ve underestimated it ever since, and whether tuning out most of odours our noses detect is a flaw, or a powerful strategy that's central to survival ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit ⁠⁠https://cancerresearchuk.org/restisscience⁠⁠ Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ. ------------------- Find The Rest Is Science all over the internet by ⁠⁠clicking here.⁠⁠ ------------------- Video Producer: Adam Thornton Video & Social: Bex Tyrrell Assistant Producer: Imee Marriott Producer: Becki Hills Senior Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Head Of Digital: Samuel Oakley Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Cancer Research UK.
0:02.9	Dinosaurs walked the earth 180 million years ago.
0:07.0	But you know, cancer was part of their story too.
0:10.2	Scientists have found tumors in ancient fossils.
0:13.2	Well, that is part of the reason why cancer is a big part of our story, right?
0:18.2	It's the other side of evolution.
0:19.9	It's the most complex disease
0:21.6	that we face. There are more than 200 types of cancer in total, each with distinct
0:25.9	characteristics, challenges and mysteries. And that complexity demands scale. Cancer Research,
0:32.0	UK, is the world's largest charitable funder of cancer research, with more than 4,000 scientists,
0:38.8	doctors, and nurses working across more than 20 countries in the search for answers. And then sharing their
0:44.1	discoveries beyond borders. And the impact of this collaboration is clear, because over the last
0:48.2	50 years, the charity's pioneering work has helped to double cancer survival in the UK. That is more people who are living
0:55.9	longer, better lives. Fossils can show us the past, but research is shaping the future. And for more
1:03.3	information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them,
1:09.1	visit cancerresearchuk.org, forward slash, rest is science.
1:14.2	My classroom isn't just a classroom.
1:16.7	It's a launchpad, a runway, a place where ideas fly on the back of paper planes.
1:21.5	Sure, there are other ways to get students to speak up, but this is mine.
1:25.2	All it takes is a bit of creativity creativity and soon they're all joining in.
1:28.4	It gives me a lot of joy to see one of my ideas working in the moment and the class learning
1:32.5	something new together. That's when you know a lesson is really taken off.
	...

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