Digitizing the smell: The new system identifies smells better than people 

Computers can recognize pictures and sounds now, but what about smells?

A team of scientists has been exploring how our brains interpret smells. 

This research could be a big step toward digitizing scents, allowing us to record and recreate them.

It's not an easy task

Humans have about 400 smell receptors in their noses. 

These receptors help us detect different scents. This study aimed to figure out how the shape of molecules (the tiny building blocks of matter) relates to how we perceive odors.

The computer model they used learned to match words that describe how things smell with the shape of the molecules that produce those smells. 

It created groups of similar-smelling odors, like floral and candy scents. 

This is an exciting development because, while computers can handle vision and hearing, they've struggled with smell, our oldest and deepest sense.

How it was conducted

To test the model, they had trained participants describe the smells of new molecules, and the model's descriptions were compared to theirs. 

The computer did a pretty good job, sometimes even outperforming individual people.

It might be helpful

This research opens up new ways to understand how our sense of smell works and how we can use it in various fields, from fragrance design to understanding the nutritional value of foods based on their smell. 

It's a fascinating step forward in our understanding of one of our most mysterious senses.
 

• Related news:
• research
• smell
• fragrance
• 8 September 2023

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