In a study to be published in the journal Nature Communications online Nov. 14, researchers at NYU School of Medicine found that odorants—chemical particles that trigger the sense of smell—need only reach a few signaling proteins on the inside lining of the nose for the mice to identify a familiar aroma. Just as significantly, researchers say they also found that the animals' ability to tell odors apart was the same no matter how strong the scent (regardless of odorant concentration).

— Read more at Mammal brains identify type of scent faster than once thought at Phys.Org.

But what happens to your sense of smell if you have trouble with emotions?

The researchers found that individuals with medium-to-high levels of alexithymia* showed a greater physiological response to the odors— their heart rates sped up and skin conductance increased — compared with individuals with low levels of alexithymia.

— Read more at What Your Nose Can Reveal About Your Emotions at LiveScience…

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While chemistry is no doubt at play, the sensation of disgust is also highly dependent on emotional and social context, he adds. Cheese perfectly illustrates the complexity of this response. For instance, “If you mix butyric and isovaleric acids you can either get a very strong sensation of vomit, or of Parmesan cheese, and it's completely dependent on context whether that is disgusting or pleasant,” he says. “Similarly, the smell of fecal matter on a farm is less disgusting than the odor emanating from a porta potty at a music festival.”

— Read more at What Stinky Cheese Tells Us About the Science of Disgust at Smithsonian magazine.