Nose | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/nose/RSS feed for NoseenWed, 29 Apr 2026 20:59:40 +0000Scientists Create the First Detailed 'Smell Map' of Odor Sensors in the Mouse Nose—and Sniff Out Some Surprising Discoverieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-create-the-first-detailed-smell-map-of-odor-sensors-in-the-mouse-nose-and-sniff-out-some-surprises-180988639/In two new studies, researchers used genetic techniques to upend a longstanding assumption that nerve cells with scent detectors were randomly arranged. They don’t know whether the same spatial organization is found in human nosesWed, 29 Apr 2026 20:59:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-create-the-first-detailed-smell-map-of-odor-sensors-in-the-mouse-nose-and-sniff-out-some-surprises-180988639/Stunningly Well-Preserved Neanderthal Skull Suggests the Species' Large Noses Weren't Adapted for the Coldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunningly-well-preserved-neanderthal-skull-suggests-the-species-large-noses-werent-adapted-for-the-cold-180987750/A new study analyzes the nasal cavity of the "Altamura Man," a Neanderthal who died between 130,000 and 172,000 years agoTue, 25 Nov 2025 15:02:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunningly-well-preserved-neanderthal-skull-suggests-the-species-large-noses-werent-adapted-for-the-cold-180987750/The Way You Breathe Is Unique to You, Like a Fingerprint, New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-way-you-breathe-is-unique-to-you-like-a-fingerprint-suggests-new-study-180986797/Researchers could identify people with almost 97 percent accuracy based on 24 hours of their recorded breathing patterns, and they also found links to a person’s mental and physical conditionMon, 16 Jun 2025 12:12:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-way-you-breathe-is-unique-to-you-like-a-fingerprint-suggests-new-study-180986797/You Can Actually Smell the Incense, Rainy Meadows and Musty Cloth in These Pre-Raphaelite Paintingshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-actually-smell-the-incense-rainy-meadows-and-musty-cloth-in-these-pre-raphaelite-paintings-180985553/At an exhibition in England, curators have placed artworks alongside diffusers that dispense carefully crafted fragrances, which visitors can trigger by pushing a buttonMon, 02 Dec 2024 17:33:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-actually-smell-the-incense-rainy-meadows-and-musty-cloth-in-these-pre-raphaelite-paintings-180985553/People Born Without a Sense of Smell Have Different Breathing Patterns, Study Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-born-without-a-sense-of-smell-have-different-breathing-patterns-study-finds-180985327/Study participants with lifelong anosmia sniffed less than those with a normal sense of smell. Future research could shed light on whether this has negative implications for their healthFri, 25 Oct 2024 16:04:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-born-without-a-sense-of-smell-have-different-breathing-patterns-study-finds-180985327/Scientists Find Microplastics in Human Brain Tissue Above the Nosehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-find-microplastics-in-human-brain-tissue-above-the-nose-180985100/A new study identified the tiny pollutants in the olfactory bulbs of eight cadavers, suggesting microplastics can travel through the nose to the brainWed, 18 Sep 2024 20:28:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-find-microplastics-in-human-brain-tissue-above-the-nose-180985100/Leonardo da Vinci Studied the Science of Smellhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/leonardo-da-vinci-studied-the-science-of-smell-180984978/The artist experimented with perfumes and created his own fragrances from flowers and fruitTue, 27 Aug 2024 20:57:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/leonardo-da-vinci-studied-the-science-of-smell-180984978/These Ants Were Trained to Sniff Out Cancerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-ants-were-trained-to-sniff-out-cancer-180981506/In just ten minutes, an ant could learn to identify urine from mice with cancerous tumors, a new study findsWed, 25 Jan 2023 21:28:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-ants-were-trained-to-sniff-out-cancer-180981506/U.S. Faces Bomb-Sniffing Dog Shortagehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/us-faces-bomb-sniffing-dog-shortage-180981223/The pandemic has exacerbated an already short supply of specially-bred canines that detect explosivesMon, 05 Dec 2022 15:44:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/us-faces-bomb-sniffing-dog-shortage-180981223/This Primate’s Long Middle Finger Has a Startling (And Rather Gross) Usehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-primates-long-middle-finger-has-a-startling-and-rather-gross-use-180981041/The aye-aye, long seen as spooky, spurred scientists to probe into primate nose-pickingMon, 31 Oct 2022 16:26:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-primates-long-middle-finger-has-a-startling-and-rather-gross-use-180981041/