Name: Why smell matters more than you think
Uploaded: 2024-10-14T13:43:38Z
Duration: 5 min 12 s
Description: TED Fellow and chemosensory researcher Paule Joseph unveils the hidden power of a sense that's too often overlooked: smell. She delves into the science behind smell — from how it evokes memory and emotion to its potential for early disease detection — and advocates for the creation of a baseline test for taste and smell that could open the door to more comprehensive health care.

Paule Joseph: Why smell matters more than you think

Why smell matters more than you think

TED Fellow and chemosensory researcher Paule Joseph unveils the hidden power of a sense that's too often overlooked: smell. She delves into the science behind smell — from how it evokes memory and emotion to its potential for early disease detection — and advocates for the creation of a baseline test for taste and smell that could open the door to more comprehensive health care.

Smell is deeply tied to memory and emotion, yet most people would give it up before any other sense. Loss of smell can be an early warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases, sometimes appearing a decade before other symptoms. During COVID, millions experienced sustained smell loss, raising concerns about long-term impacts on brain health. Despite its importance, routine medical exams rarely test for smell, leaving critical clues to disease overlooked.