Olfaction

Recent articles

Research image of olfactory bulb activity.

Smell studies often use unnaturally high odor concentrations, analysis reveals

It’s time to fashion olfactory neuroscience stimuli based on odor concentrations in the wild, say study investigators Elizabeth Hong and Matt Wachowiak.

By Calli McMurray
16 April 2025 | 7 min read
Dima Rinberg smells one of the compounds in his lab, looking at camera with a quizzical expression.

Sniffing out the mysteries of olfaction

A background in physics, and his own curiosity, have helped Dmitry Rinberg tackle the complexities of the neuroscience of smell.

By Lina Zeldovich
11 December 2024 | 13 min read
Illustration of six different noses smelling in six different abstract landscapes.

Consciously smelling—an edited excerpt from ‘Stinking Philosophy! Smell Perception, Cognition, and Consciousness’

In his new book, published earlier this month, Benjamin Young tackles the debates and central questions surrounding olfactory perception, cognition and consciousness.

By Benjamin Young
26 August 2024 | 12 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Neuro’s ark: Understanding fast foraging with star-nosed moles

“MacArthur genius” Kenneth Catania outlined the physiology behind the moles’ stellar foraging skills two decades ago. Next, he wants to better characterize their food-seeking behavior.

By Lauren Schneider
4 February 2026 | 7 min read

Largest leucovorin-autism trial retracted

A reanalysis of the data revealed errors and failed to replicate the results.

By Claudia López Lloreda
3 February 2026 | 4 min read

NIH scraps policy that classified basic research in people as clinical trials

The policy aimed to increase the transparency of research in humans but created “a bureaucratic nightmare” for basic neuroscientists.

By Calli McMurray
3 February 2026 | 5 min read

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