olfactory Archives

Sense of Scents

“The annual olfactory rush of cedar pollen is a sign of home.”

“Using chemistry, archival records and AI, scientists are reviving the aromas of old libraries, mummies and battlefields.”

“How the desert taught me to smell.”

“As the pandemic stole millions of people’s “fifth sense,” Barbara Walker’s seemed to be coming back. But why?”

In this personal essay, Kavita Das recalls learning to self-advocate as a patient with a cleft palate — and as a child in a family full of doctors.