Name: The science of scent
Uploaded: 2008-11-07T01:00:00Z
Duration: 15 min 39 s
Description: What's the science behind a sublime perfume? With charm and precision, biophysicist Luca Turin explains the molecular makeup -- and the art -- of a scent.

What's the science behind a sublime perfume? With charm and precision, biophysicist Luca Turin explains the molecular makeup -- and the art -- of a scent.

The science of scent

Our sense of smell may decode the unique vibrations of molecules, not just their shapes. In an experiment with hundreds of molecules in a single perfume, subtle changes in chemistry created radically different scents, like cut grass or rotten eggs. Traditional shape-based theories struggle to explain these differences, while the vibrational theory offers striking predictions. By harnessing this approach, researchers designed new fragrance molecules in weeks, stunning even skeptical perfumers.