The Overlooked Sense: Ask people which of their senses they’d be willing to give up first – chances are, it’s the sense of smell. Either that, or the sense of taste, with taste being more likely if they belong to the Picky Eaters Club. Smelling isn’t usually up there at the top of anyone’s favorite conversation topics list, but it’s really a fascinating sense. There’s research that shows people respond to the smell of male and female hormones in all sorts of ways, including mood changes, increased aggression, and sexual drive. Aromatherapy is growing in popularity, with research even suggesting it is effective in preventing infection during cancer treatment. Smell is also strongly associated with memory, something many of us can identify with, when a certain smell reminds us of a person, a place, or a particular event in our lives.

Do Deaf People Smell Fear Better?: For a long time, animals have been thought to be able to detect chemicals that are produced by other animals when they experience fear. Now research is finding that people can also identify the smell of fear, possibly from chemicals in sweat, which is often produced during times of fear. What about Deaf people and the sense of smell? Do Deaf people detect more smells than hearing people? Are we more more attuned to smells, the same way many of us seem to be more visually alert than many hearing people? What’s your experience with the sense of smell?