KEY CONCEPTS* The human sense of smell is often seen as insignificant, but this sense is keener and more influential on our species than many people realize.
* Smell subconsciously facilitates a variety of human social interactions. People use smell to assess a person’s likability, sexual attractiveness and emotional state. They can also use scent to distinguish a stranger from a friend, a male from a female and someone who is gay from someone who is straight.
* Deficiencies in olfaction may contribute to social withdrawal, such as that which accompanies schizophrenia.
Full Story at Scientific American
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