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What's in a name? According to researchers at Oxford University, it can affect how we perceive smells.
But don't be surprised if your rose doesn't smell as much like a rose as it used to. According to this article (link no longer working, sorry), flower breeders have concentrated on color to the detriment of scent.
Acqua di Parma's Iris Nobile fragrance was inspired by an iris garden near Florence. Read about it in the Times Online.
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Niche perfume line The Different Company has opened its first boutique, on the Rue Chabanais in Paris. (via cosmeticnews)
The Brazilian rosewood tree has become an endangered species due to its popularity as an ingredient in perfume and other scented body products. This article in the New York Times talks about local efforts to create sustainable rosewood plantations.
A study at the University of California, Berkeley, found that humans have better sniffing abilities than previously thought, and can "track" odors in the same manner as dogs. Thanks to Tania for the link!
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Neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley have conducted an experiment that explains how we are able to keep from being overwhelmed by constant sensory input from odors. The researchers used MRI technology to monitor the brain activity of two groups of volunteers, only one of which was told that the experiment was about odor. When both groups were exposed to odors, the group that did NOT know the experiment was about odor showed less activity in the areas of the brain that process odor…