Science Sniffs Out a Hidden Superpower: Sense of Smell
An extraordinary human superpower has long been hidden in plain sight, a secret weapon as easy to spot as the nose on your face… because it is the nose on your face. Contrary to popular belief, humans have an excellent sense of smell. And the story behind why we ever thought differently is an incredible illustration of how facts can be buried by bias.
In a newly published paper in Science, neuroscientist John McGann, who studies sensory perception at Rutgers University, explains that religious politics of 19th century France spurred the misconception that humans have a poor sense of smell. The Catholic Church objected to what it deemed the teaching of atheism and materialism, particularly that offered by an anatomist named Paul Broca, whose work focused on the brain.
