‘Revelations in Air’ and the power of smell

Smell is a powerful and important sense that can transport us back in time to our favorite memories, keep us healthy and make meals taste delicious. But it’s often forgotten, under-appreciated, and still has lots of room for scientific exploration. Why do we have favorite aromas, or find certain odors particularly unpleasant? Do some of us have smarter noses than others? We’ll explore the weird, surprising, wonderful world of smell with Jude Stewart, author of Revelations in Air: A Guidebook to Smell.

First, we’ll take a closer look at what’s happened to our sense of smell since the pandemic began over two years ago. Many people infected with Covid-19 lost their usual capability for scent and taste, and months after recovering, have not regained their normal sense of smell. Monell Chemical Senses Center’s Dr. Danielle Reed joins us to explain how the loss of this vital sense impacts patients and how researchers are trying to help.

Danielle Reed is the Associate Director of The Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia

Jude Stewart is a writer. Her latest book is Revelations in Air: A Guidebook to Smell.