How good is our sense of smell? The general perception is that human olfactory senses are poor when compared to many other animals like dogs. But now a study says that we can sniff out different odours much more accurately and faster.

Humans can distinguish between two odours presented within a single sniff much more rapidly than previously thought, according to the study published in Nature Human Behaviour Journal.

The study found that the human sense of smell is also attuned to rapid changes in odours, almost similar to how our eyes distinguish between different colours.

Watch: Is sense of smell linked to cognitive health?

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The research used a new sniff-triggered apparatus that did a controlled delivery of odorants with a precision of 18 milliseconds.&nbsp;

For context, a sniff in humans typically lasts one to three seconds.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/babies-use-scent-of-their-mothers-to-see-faces-of-people-study-742706">Also read: Babies use scent of their mothers to 'see' faces of people: Study</a>

The research led by Dr Wen Zhou from the Chinese Academy of Sciences tested 229 participants across 649 sessions.

They found the participants could distinguish two separate odours presented in just 60 milliseconds apart.

The ability to distinguish the odours improved with longer time gaps.

The researchers concluded that human olfactory sensitivity is not only quick but also nuanced.&nbsp;

What's more, the ability to sniff out different smells does not rely on conscious knowledge or the amount of odour molecules present.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dogs-are-altering-their-behaviour-after-smelling-stress-in-humans-study-743304">Also read: Dogs are altering their behaviour after smelling stress in humans: Study</a> 
 
In one experiment, two scents – an apple-like odour and a floral scent – were precisely sequenced and delivered in a controlled manner via tubes of varying lengths.&nbsp;

One scent was set to reach the nose around 120 to 180 milliseconds before the other.

The participants were correctly able to identify the smells, as well as tell which odour came first in 597 out of 952 trials, an accuracy of 63 per cent.

They got similar results when the trials were done on another 70 individuals with odours similar to lemon and onion.

So according to the study, we can sniff out smells at a timescale far faster than what was understood earlier.&nbsp;

“Overall, the discrimination between a pair of temporal mixtures is not dependent on accurately recognising the order of the constituent odorants,” said Zhou.&nbsp;

“Instead, it seems to be driven by a mechanism that operates on a much faster timescale than that involved in the serial recognition of mixture components,” she was quoted as saying in The Guardian.

(With inputs from agencies)

How good is our sense of smell? The general perception is that human olfactory senses are poor when compared to many other animals like dogs. But now a study says that we can sniff out different odours much more accurately and faster.

How good is our sense of smell? The general perception is that human olfactory senses are poor when compared to many other animals like dogs. But now a study says that we can sniff out different odours much more accurately and faster. Humans can distinguish between two odours presented within a single sniff much more rapidly than previously thought, according to the study published in Nature Human Behaviour Journal. The study found that the human sense of smell is also attuned to rapid changes in odours, almost similar to how our eyes distinguish between different colours. Watch: Is sense of smell linked to cognitive health? × The research used a new sniff-triggered apparatus that did a controlled delivery of odorants with a precision of 18 milliseconds. For context, a sniff in humans typically lasts one to three seconds. Also read: Babies use scent of their mothers to 'see' faces of people: Study The research led by Dr Wen Zhou from the Chinese Academy of Sciences tested 229 participants across 649 sessions. They found the participants could distinguish two separate odours presented in just 60 milliseconds apart. The ability to distinguish the odours improved with longer time gaps. The researchers concluded that human olfactory sensitivity is not only quick but also nuanced. What's more, the ability to sniff out different smells does not rely on conscious knowledge or the amount of odour molecules present. Also read: Dogs are altering their behaviour after smelling stress in humans: Study In one experiment, two scents – an apple-like odour and a floral scent – were precisely sequenced and delivered in a controlled manner via tubes of varying lengths. One scent was set to reach the nose around 120 to 180 milliseconds before the other. The participants were correctly able to identify the smells, as well as tell which odour came first in 597 out of 952 trials, an accuracy of 63 per cent. They got similar results when the trials were done on another 70 individuals with odours similar to lemon and onion. So according to the study, we can sniff out smells at a timescale far faster than what was understood earlier. “Overall, the discrimination between a pair of temporal mixtures is not dependent on accurately recognising the order of the constituent odorants,” said Zhou. “Instead, it seems to be driven by a mechanism that operates on a much faster timescale than that involved in the serial recognition of mixture components,” she was quoted as saying in The Guardian. (With inputs from agencies)

Our sense of smell may not be as good as dogs', but we are better than earlier thought, says study

The majority of us dye our greying hair, which is the first few prominent signs of ageing. We can't stop or reverse the natural phenomenon of ageing (the Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a dream, not the real world), but we can definitely work on preventing the signs to some extent.&nbsp;

A group of scientists believe they have found a mechanism for greying hair and according to them, treatment could help develop a treatment to alter cells so that the process can be reversed or halted. In a new study, scientists say that stem cells may get stuck and lose their ability to maintain hair colour as time passes.&nbsp;

Previously, experts noted that greying hair is caused when melanin-producing stem cells stop functioning properly. Some experts also said that reversible hypopigmentation of the hair can be seen in nutritional deficiencies protein-energy malnutrition and diseases of chronic loss of protein. It is also known that copper and iron deficiency also can cause greying of hair.&nbsp;

<h2>But what if we can stop the greying of hair?&nbsp;</h2>

Stem cells, which can differentiate into many different cell types, have an unusual ability to switch between growth compartments in follicles. With age, these cells lose their ability to move, resulting in greyness. Published Wednesday in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05960-6">Nature</a>, a new study in mice chalks out the issues that are linked to greying of our hair. The story is done on mice, but it has implications for people as the research was focused on cells called melanocyte stem cells, or McSCs.

A quoted by The New York Times, Mayumi Ito, an author of the study and a dermatology professor at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine: "This is a really big step toward understanding why we grey." Scientists have suggested that there could be a way in future to reverse or prevent grey hair if the findings hold true for humans.&nbsp;

As quoted by The Guardian, the study's lead investigator, Qi Sun, who is a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health, said: "The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed-positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans."&nbsp;

"If so, it presents a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the greying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments," Qi added.&nbsp;

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The majority of us dye our greying hair, which is the first few prominent signs of ageing. We can't stop or reverse the natural phenomenon of ageing (the Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a dream, not the real world), but we can definitely work on preventing the signs to some extent.

The majority of us dye our greying hair, which is the first few prominent signs of ageing. We can't stop or reverse the natural phenomenon of ageing (the Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a dream, not the real world), but we can definitely work on preventing the signs to some extent. A group of scientists believe they have found a mechanism for greying hair and according to them, treatment could help develop a treatment to alter cells so that the process can be reversed or halted. In a new study, scientists say that stem cells may get stuck and lose their ability to maintain hair colour as time passes. Previously, experts noted that greying hair is caused when melanin-producing stem cells stop functioning properly. Some experts also said that reversible hypopigmentation of the hair can be seen in nutritional deficiencies protein-energy malnutrition and diseases of chronic loss of protein. It is also known that copper and iron deficiency also can cause greying of hair. But what if we can stop the greying of hair? Stem cells, which can differentiate into many different cell types, have an unusual ability to switch between growth compartments in follicles. With age, these cells lose their ability to move, resulting in greyness. Published Wednesday in the journal Nature, a new study in mice chalks out the issues that are linked to greying of our hair. The story is done on mice, but it has implications for people as the research was focused on cells called melanocyte stem cells, or McSCs. A quoted by The New York Times, Mayumi Ito, an author of the study and a dermatology professor at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine: "This is a really big step toward understanding why we grey." Scientists have suggested that there could be a way in future to reverse or prevent grey hair if the findings hold true for humans. As quoted by The Guardian, the study's lead investigator, Qi Sun, who is a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health, said: "The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed-positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans." "If so, it presents a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the greying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments," Qi added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Why hair turns grey with age? Can we prevent it? This key study has some answers

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Our sense of smell may not be as good as dogs', but we are better than earlier thought, says study

Why hair turns grey with age? Can we prevent it? This key study has some answers