That smells like ...

Have you ever noticed that Parmesan cheese smells like vomit?  Why you ask? Because Parmesan cheese and vomit is full of butyric acid.  Scientist will say that we traded our olfactory acuity for better color vision a long time ago, and therefore, smell has become a subjective experience.

This does not make our noses simple. Actually, three percent of our genome is dedicated to the evolution of 350 separate receptor types.  We have 10 million odor receptors lined in our nasal passage in an area the size of a thumb print.  Yet, we are comparatively less efficient in the sense of smell than other animals.  The point is this, when you smell something, the context in which you experience the odor is important.

So the next time your partner piles a mountain of Parmesan cheese on his plate of spaghetti, tell him to take a deep breath as you remind him of the last vomiting call you guys ran …


I know; that’s mean …but, how about it?