Smelling Sensibly

Our sense of smell is often relegated to the backseat because humans tend to rely so much on their eyes. But we probably all realize that our sense of smell is crucially important, too. Things would taste extraordinarily bland without our sense of smell (just harken back to the last time your cold plugged you up -- not only was nose-breathing impossible but mealtimes were pretty boring because everything tasted the same: bland).

Believe it or not, there is a Sense of Smell Institute dedicated to disseminating information about our sense of smell and toward research. Don't forget that two Nobel winners this year were doing research on our "odorant receptors" and just how our olfactory sense works.

Well worth a visit.