Your nose might look like a single entity, but when it comes to smelling, the two nostrils seem to operate independently. Denise Chen of Rice University pumped two different odors into a volunteer’s nose. One nostril got a whiff of roses; the other, felt-tipped marker.
The result wasn’t what you might expect. The subject didn’t smell a blend of the two odors. Instead, the smell flip-flipped between the two: they’d smell rose, then marker, and so on.
Seems as if the nostrils have to take turns sending their signals to the brain. Who knew?
I learned this funky fact by listening to the AAAS Science Update podcast, September 24, 2009. Hope you think it’s as cool as I do!
:) Cheryl
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