How to master your sense of smell - Alexandra Horowitz

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  • Опубліковано 8 січ 2017
  • View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-mast...
    Some perfumers can distinguish individual odors in a fragrance made of hundreds of scents; tea-experts have been known to sniff out the exact location of a particular tea; and the NYC Transit Authority once had a employee responsible only for sniffing out gas leaks. But can anyone learn to smell with the sensitivity of those experts? Alexandra Horowitz shares three simple steps to a better nose.
    Lesson by Alexandra Horowitz, animation by Black Powder Design.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 452

  • @ARandomMagician
    @ARandomMagician 7 років тому +925

    TED-Ed should do one of these videos for each sense.

    • @davidsonjoseph8991
      @davidsonjoseph8991 7 років тому +67

      ARandomMagician Common sense included?

    • @ARandomMagician
      @ARandomMagician 7 років тому +11

      hahaha, might be useful for some people

    • @MetronaJ
      @MetronaJ 7 років тому +15

      Davidson Joseph what is this "common sense" you speak of? I only know of "uncommon sense"

    • @davidsonjoseph8991
      @davidsonjoseph8991 7 років тому +4

      Justin Baker Getting high with Dad jokes now?

    • @orekihoutarou730
      @orekihoutarou730 7 років тому +1

      lets thumbs up this comment to let ted ed see this

  • @robindiamondhands6416
    @robindiamondhands6416 7 років тому +279

    Learning to taste is also really awesome. I know they kind of go together but they are a bit different. I used to be a coffee taster on different coffee from around the world. We would taste or known as cupping in the coffee industry everyday after roasting the coffee the previous day. Basically the more you practice the better you get at deciphering the smells and tastes. Not to mention its kind of classy to be able to give tasting notes on different drinks. Dang I miss that job haha

    • @hsbswjwsb
      @hsbswjwsb 7 років тому +9

      Just another one why did you quit? Or did you get fired?

    • @cheyneeddy5162
      @cheyneeddy5162 7 років тому +4

      J Cole they said coffee tasting, not coffee gulp down lmao

    • @robindiamondhands6416
      @robindiamondhands6416 7 років тому +18

      yeah we drank upwards of 6-7 actual cups of coffee through out the day. That's including the cupping portion of the day. My coworker and director of coffee nearly always had a cup in their hand haha.
      And I decided to leave to go back to school full time. I was only making 4$ more than minimum wage in California. It was probably the most enjoyable job I'll ever have. It's worth it for me to go back to school though.

    • @hugedark38
      @hugedark38 7 років тому

      Just another one

    • @abigwhale1043
      @abigwhale1043 3 роки тому

      Why'd you quit then??

  • @protrashinator6467
    @protrashinator6467 7 років тому +84

    3:43 "To get started, take ingredients from the kitchen: spiced, vanilla, or fruit, but never anything toxic."
    Okay.
    *snorts cinnamon*

  • @MinecraftCutiepie
    @MinecraftCutiepie 7 років тому +254

    I'm gonna freak people out by sniffing at every object in my proximity now

  • @ThomasG_
    @ThomasG_ 7 років тому +424

    Follow-up video: How to master your sense of smell without looking like a creep.

  • @gamingguygwilym5202
    @gamingguygwilym5202 7 років тому +280

    this video made me sniff chocolate milk powder now its stuck up my nose

    • @Mr_Creasy_
      @Mr_Creasy_ 7 років тому +25

      Theres nothing wrong with a little nose candy ;)

    • @brittania8969
      @brittania8969 7 років тому +15

      Gaming Guy Gwilym Sniffing any kind of powder is not the ideal thing...

    • @ThePrikoki
      @ThePrikoki 7 років тому +8

      sniff coke, it should take care of your problem(s) right away

    • @sarielsworldella1723
      @sarielsworldella1723 5 років тому +1

      Oh my god

  • @viddhi8015
    @viddhi8015 7 років тому +205

    I sniffed my phone. So if it gets lost i can find it. It's probably my first priority

    • @madf8507
      @madf8507 3 роки тому +6

      i sniffed my phone and that ish smell kinda wack im ngl

    • @DanielGarcia-ib3wl
      @DanielGarcia-ib3wl 3 роки тому +3

      Wait is that possible?

    • @remaniant
      @remaniant 3 роки тому

      @@DanielGarcia-ib3wl over the years a lot of scientific things about the sense of smell has been coming like I saw one saying if you train your nose good and long enough you can actually smell emotions

    • @malandan
      @malandan 2 роки тому

      finally, someone who has their priorities straight. great minds think alike

  • @gurdi
    @gurdi 7 років тому +60

    I love the fact that smells can bring up so many specific memories. It sounds weird but I loved the smell of my ex-boyfriend's breath. I can distinguish all of my grandparents just because of their smell! A specific perfume of mine reminds me of an specific stage in my life (when I would wear it often). I love how each person has their own unique smell. It may sound nasty to many but I actually like a lil bit of a sweat smell on men. (Am I sharing too much here? Just throwing facts)

    • @sbyoutub3
      @sbyoutub3 6 років тому +5

      me too!! i can smell everyone with my eyes closed and i can tell who they are! i can even tell if my boyfriend changed his perfume lol. not to mention i can guess a lot of scent in a room full of food or flowers, ANYTHING! altho i freak some people out but im really proud of my "talent"

  • @Yathuprem
    @Yathuprem 7 років тому +86

    I just smelled my USB drive, Keyboard and Phone !! I gotta say tacos everywhere

  • @apowers7783
    @apowers7783 7 років тому +95

    Alfie, what are you doing sniffing the door knob?

  • @AnstonMusic
    @AnstonMusic 7 років тому +219

    I'm too self-aware to try out these steps.
    Fuck that would look goofy in public.

    • @alsoandanswer
      @alsoandanswer 7 років тому +10

      Anston [Music] then do it at home
      dumbass

    • @aprilelrod7228
      @aprilelrod7228 7 років тому +1

      Anston [Music] It actually does look pretty goofy, but I get called on it all the time. Especially at convenience store checkouts where they always have air fresheners and leather wallets and things like that. I'm always picking stuff up and smelling it. Then I get that look (or those brave souls that actually ask) "Did you just smell that? Weird..."

    • @eerolehtonen7318
      @eerolehtonen7318 7 років тому

      hei anssi

    • @blanmorrison1794
      @blanmorrison1794 7 років тому +1

      How do you manage to use the worst cuss word and the most childish word in the same sentence?

    • @validalready
      @validalready 7 років тому

      +Blan Morrison you're so matured to use 'cuss' instead of 'curse' cz it totally censors it and noone fucking knows the actual rudeness
      just like how fxxked up this is

  • @salmiakki7652
    @salmiakki7652 3 роки тому +22

    Ever since I was a kid smell really had a strong place in my senses, I have kind of a list of smells that I associate with people I've been close to in my life.
    I work with different types of explosives and I totally get why sniffer dogs are good at what they do, each one has a really unique odour before and after detonation. Before my current job I use to work in the emerge department and some diseases you could smell from a mile away, diabetes is the perfect example because if it's poorly managed they kind of smell like nail polish remover. You can smell when a person has a fever almost to the level that if your use to the smell you can kind of gather a hunch as to if they are fighting off a virus or a bacterial infection. You can smell a person sweating out drugs, both illegal and prescribed and when people die, or just before they die you can smell death, the expression "the sweet smell of death" is totally true imagine a steak with a very light spritz of perfume and that's the right idea

  • @fool4343
    @fool4343 7 років тому +24

    I can smell an orange from the opposite room of house
    It would be awesome but I hate everything about oranges

  • @Mr_Creasy_
    @Mr_Creasy_ 7 років тому +155

    YES! I've always wanted to smell like Dr. Hannibal Lector!

    • @TripleGatan
      @TripleGatan 7 років тому +2

      Mr. Creasy... Was that a bad pun or a typo?

    • @Mr_Creasy_
      @Mr_Creasy_ 7 років тому +2

      You tell me... Jey??? 👀 👃 Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

    • @ChrisPPotatoIDC
      @ChrisPPotatoIDC 7 років тому +10

      Dad?

    • @privatebunjijumper
      @privatebunjijumper 7 років тому +1

      I thought the same thing as well LOL

    • @dead-indise7263
      @dead-indise7263 4 роки тому +1

      I know right, I'd love to be able to smell wine or when someone has auto immune encephalitis since Hannibal said its scent was warm, poor will tho and his beautiful dogs, love Winston the most

  • @Not_what_it_used_to_be
    @Not_what_it_used_to_be 7 років тому +9

    I was never able to breath through my nose as a child due to allergies, and for the majority of my life I've just ignored the sense. I am terrible at distinguishing between scents and I often confuse them.

  • @zhiyarali557
    @zhiyarali557 7 років тому +49

    day 2 Smoke-free. tomorrow I'll be able to smell like a non-smoker. I'm so glad

    • @TripleGatan
      @TripleGatan 7 років тому +7

      ZHiKA GO FOR IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU!

    • @360flyby
      @360flyby 7 років тому +13

      good luck. stay strong, it's worth it.

    • @d_wang9836
      @d_wang9836 7 років тому +8

      ZHiKA Day 2 fap free. Tommorow I'll be able to fap and feel good like a nonfapper

    • @chadatchison145
      @chadatchison145 7 років тому +5

      Nonfapper's are a myth. :)

    • @zhiyarali557
      @zhiyarali557 7 років тому +2

      Abslon, Lol that was a good one.
      Thanks guys for the support!!!

  • @NiamhAllStar21
    @NiamhAllStar21 7 років тому +30

    My friend always says I have oddly specific descriptions of smell. Not exactly strong sense of smell but I can distinguish lots of things in one smell. One time I smelled a soap in lush that smelled of my grans perfume, superglue, and purple starburst. It was kind of gross.

  • @MrErensarier
    @MrErensarier 7 років тому +43

    first step: stop smoking

  • @vusiliyK
    @vusiliyK 7 років тому

    Love this video and love the animations. Great work!

  • @demandy1
    @demandy1 7 років тому

    I applaud you Ted-Ed, great video, great work

  • @josephdol1845
    @josephdol1845 7 років тому

    I love this animator, I wish you guys could Black powder on here more often

  • @extremesubtlety
    @extremesubtlety 7 років тому +15

    Time to begin my sniffing adventure. Wish me luck.

  • @mistressolive
    @mistressolive 6 років тому +4

    I've linked my appetite with smell. My moto is "If isn't doesn't smell good, it doesn't taste good". After all, we learn more from our world as we smell it, which ultimately helps us to make decisions.

    • @eunaofaloalemao995
      @eunaofaloalemao995 6 років тому +1

      Olivia Anderson So you don't eat most cheese

    • @mistressolive
      @mistressolive 6 років тому

      Tio Luffy that actually kind of true because where I live we're only limited to popular demand

  • @thegamingcube3355
    @thegamingcube3355 7 років тому +32

    Tried smelling some white powder, high now

  • @user-ci2lg1lw5b
    @user-ci2lg1lw5b 3 роки тому +3

    우리의 후각을 단련하는 방법에 대하여 배워보는 시간이 되었습니다. 우리가 어떻게 냄새를 맡는지에 대해서도 배웠습니다. 유익하고 재미있는 시간이 되었습니다. 감사합니다.

  • @Helvetica09
    @Helvetica09 7 років тому +2

    I found this candle that smelled exactly like my favourite book and stationary shop in my hometown :D it literally looked like out of a ghibli movie because there where soo many things all over the little shop and the woman that owned it ( literally the oldest woman in our town) lived over the shop and she had the most beautiful rural backyard :D i really need to find that candle again because that store closes years ago :( amazing what scents can do :D

  • @JolinHard
    @JolinHard 7 років тому +1

    I'm like this! When I came home from school I would always guess correct what my mom was cooking. She would get surprised and It made me feel like a boss because no one else could do it.

  • @SWatchik
    @SWatchik 7 років тому

    I love the blend of proper science, and culture.

  • @FreakyBo0o
    @FreakyBo0o 7 років тому

    I love this.

  • @mkjbawi9308
    @mkjbawi9308 3 роки тому +1

    I have a very strong sense of smell
    even I can smell what are the ingredients in some kind of foods
    I'm proud of it ❤

  • @michaelyadchuk6172
    @michaelyadchuk6172 7 років тому

    This was a quite interesting topic. Thanks

  • @thestreetscent
    @thestreetscent 5 років тому

    Great video

  • @thesleepyginger1856
    @thesleepyginger1856 4 роки тому +5

    I like to think that I have a higher than average sense of smell to compensate for my hearing. I can smell chunky peanut butter from smooth peanut butter, rice and it's relative age, and much more.
    I once smelled a friend who I've met only a couple of times from across an auditorium at a jazz concert, even when there was a bowl of chinese food in front of me. And if I'm smelling right, you're bored.

  • @echogaybaldfith7466
    @echogaybaldfith7466 7 років тому

    The nose is so great
    I really liked this video
    Well done here, TED-ed :)

  • @poque48
    @poque48 5 років тому

    Thanks for explaning those sniff training
    i sniffed every moments and keep practicing because i want to be a perfumer
    Thanks for uploaded it

  • @harshsharma5894
    @harshsharma5894 7 років тому +2

    Good Information☺☺

  • @Azmina_the_warlock
    @Azmina_the_warlock 5 років тому +2

    I work in a library, I'm not smelling books. Sometimes you can't help but smell them anyway >.< lol

  • @mollyhoffman7313
    @mollyhoffman7313 Рік тому

    All of the old books my dad brought from his childhood home (like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dr. Seuss books, etc.) have a distinctive smell.

  • @donellebullock7404
    @donellebullock7404 7 років тому +3

    So I've been training myself this whole time and never knew it.

  • @naasirosman8975
    @naasirosman8975 7 років тому +16

    The animated guy looks so funny

  • @samarmohammedrashed7353
    @samarmohammedrashed7353 7 років тому +1

    thanks God I have realy good sense of smell ..I can even understand allot of dlsmell

  • @sion-dafyddlocke9913
    @sion-dafyddlocke9913 7 років тому +13

    Good video but I would suggest adding continual qualification into the mix, I.e. Smells like read fruit, cherry, fresh cherry, fresh black cherry and so on. I've had people get very frustrated when they here experts speak very specifically and they don't realize there's a process to it. Also I have to disagree about sharp sniffing. I've always gotten more types of scents and better descriptors when taking deep, controlled even breaths. I would compare sharp sniffing to going into a museum and walking as quickly as possible up to a painting. Also should keep in perspective molecular size. When smelling wine, I'm not trying to smell big fat ethanol chains, I want to smell tiny little polyphenol rings first.
    I'd suggest also what I call environmental smelling, where you start off just breathing in and try and hone into a certain smell. Can be done blind or known, but it helps explore intensity as well as experiencing it in combination with other smells, since rarely do we ever smell just one thing at a time. It's also a great way to explore directionality with smell and play with how we use scent in mapping our environment.

  • @senpaifriendzonedme
    @senpaifriendzonedme 7 років тому

    knew where this one was going

  • @ipadgirl72
    @ipadgirl72 7 років тому

    actually im really good at smelting food and the ingredients in them i also can smell differences between people

  • @annonnymoose20
    @annonnymoose20 7 років тому +16

    Did anyone else sniff their phone?

  • @rachitabrol3633
    @rachitabrol3633 7 років тому +1

    I wanted you all guys to make video on cosmos or on quantum mehanics . will you guys do it?

  • @charmagne2102
    @charmagne2102 7 років тому

    To recognize a smell I try to bring up the memory that is linked to that smell, this is the hardest part, then I slowly go through the memory sequence and look at everything that could have possibly emitted a similar smell.
    Plus...The Channel NO. 5 perfume just smells like baby powder, with some jasmine.

  • @mohamedaboelfotoh7692
    @mohamedaboelfotoh7692 7 років тому

    Good video

  • @AmesiesCorner
    @AmesiesCorner 7 років тому +101

    Thumbs up if you started smelling things around your keyboard..

  • @daetwaanfraser4890
    @daetwaanfraser4890 7 років тому +176

    this smells fishy

  • @BaBooTubeVideos
    @BaBooTubeVideos 6 років тому

    The thumbnail caught my *eye.*

  • @earlessroboticcat7102
    @earlessroboticcat7102 6 років тому +4

    I love the smell of cold cold breeze. I don’t know why but when I go food shopping, I pick up some steaks and smell the refrigerator instead of the meat. 😂

  • @Kceam
    @Kceam 7 років тому

    Very fitting Video because i am reading "The Perfume" by Patrick Süskind at the moment :D

  • @meganmyhre2537
    @meganmyhre2537 6 років тому

    Unless you are me since I apparently don't have as many olfactory receptors. If you have packets of salad pas (probably bad spelling) you know they are VERY minty. I can inhale through my nose deeply in these packets and only have a minor reaction to it being minty instead of feeling like my nose is on fire.

  • @raqueltome1543
    @raqueltome1543 7 років тому

    I guess would be a good perfumer 😁🌺

  • @godxavior
    @godxavior 7 років тому +1

    I always sniff things before eating or drinking them, I consider it as important as tasting. I get weird looks sometimes though and the occasional question, often "has it gone bad?". people don't like to see you sniff things even discreetly

  • @TheAdriyaman
    @TheAdriyaman 7 років тому +1

    2:01 She is like, "WTF, dude!!"

  • @itudor
    @itudor 7 років тому

    0:25 that hissing sound scared the hell out of me

  • @deshundontae23
    @deshundontae23 7 років тому

    can you do this for sight and hearing

  • @auburneytuckerson2959
    @auburneytuckerson2959 Рік тому

    My trick: wet the tip your nose. The moisture draws in more smells. That's why your sense of smell increases after you get out of the shower.

  • @user-ez5vq9fd2t
    @user-ez5vq9fd2t 7 років тому +3

    I love the way girls smell. Their hair and shampoo. Their natural skin aroma :)

    • @malandan
      @malandan 2 роки тому

      this would be incredibly creepy without context.
      neverless, this is still creepy.

  • @scottg4520
    @scottg4520 7 років тому

    This reminds me of the panel of smell experts in Hannibal.

  • @kle1sky
    @kle1sky 7 років тому

    If I can make a subtitles in another language, can I add them to the video?

  • @michaelborch2432
    @michaelborch2432 7 років тому

    there's a norwegian artist that came up with a vocabulary for smells

  • @liltrump799
    @liltrump799 3 місяці тому

    I used to have such an insane sense of smell but after I gott COVID it haven't been the same since.

  • @sashsash1111
    @sashsash1111 7 років тому +2

    Thank you now i'n dizzy from sniffing

  • @nickyam8474
    @nickyam8474 7 років тому +1

    My family are looking at me weirdly... 😂

  • @zuzu-the-boozoo
    @zuzu-the-boozoo 4 роки тому +4

    I’m boutta become tanjirou in a few seconds.

    • @hellocoo6406
      @hellocoo6406 3 роки тому +1

      same letss gooooooooooooooooooo

  • @pikminlord343
    @pikminlord343 7 років тому

    an interesting video

  • @amansinghbhadauria2818
    @amansinghbhadauria2818 7 років тому

    narration and topic is good ,but what had happened to ted ed's animation ?

  • @cron0xmax
    @cron0xmax 5 років тому

    I smell things all the time and my friends think that it’s weird, but I don’t care because smelling is my superpower 😌

  • @carlyann3497
    @carlyann3497 7 років тому

    when it said to put your nose right on the thing you want to smell I looked around and saw a blanket and in like "idc lets use that"

  • @sammie8262
    @sammie8262 6 років тому +1

    my best sense is touch, and one time my friend closed my eyes gave me five things, bread, a marker, a bottle, her ring, and a pen, and I got them all right.

  • @AnaMaria-nj9zk
    @AnaMaria-nj9zk 7 років тому

    cooooooooool

  • @brandt7898
    @brandt7898 7 років тому

    Vladimir Horowitz still the best Horowitz

  • @amytran1402
    @amytran1402 5 років тому

    Thanks for the tip now I can smell good water or bad water

  • @Lukas-kh5gu
    @Lukas-kh5gu 7 років тому

    *video summary:* pay attention to your environment because there is always some scent of something around and sniff actively.
    well, i would have expected a bit more in-depth and tricks or certain ways to actively increase your sense of smell. for example, as a cigar smoker you do not - since we don't inhale - blow out the smoke through your nose. however, there's a technique that allows you to do blow the smoke that is "sitting" in your mouth through the nose, which is called a retro hale.
    there's lots of stuff to it.

  • @woopywop
    @woopywop 5 років тому

    I suddenly remember the movie, The Story of tbe Murderer, I don't know if that's the exact title

  • @paw9122
    @paw9122 2 роки тому

    If there wasnt a sniffing sound effect every 2 seconds I would be able to watch this video lol...

  • @FalkoJ89
    @FalkoJ89 7 років тому +1

    Honestly, I feel like a majority of people can't smell their food well enough (and I mean when it's inside your mouth). Kids would appreciate vegetables a lot more if they used their smell more than their taste. I know people who literally can't tell the difference between frozen and home made food (like pizza).

  • @ldyprlshn9422
    @ldyprlshn9422 7 років тому

    I feel like sherlock now. Thanks ted

  • @luke5398
    @luke5398 7 років тому

    I would do this but I'm scared I'll become ill from all the germs I suck up with my nose.. Any way to prevent this?

  • @rainbowsomeone
    @rainbowsomeone 6 років тому +1

    I won't think about this everytime I breathe.

  • @antonioxaxafilho7178
    @antonioxaxafilho7178 7 років тому

    Na qualidade de iniciante houve pouco compreensão do texto.

  • @shafickrahman88
    @shafickrahman88 7 років тому +1

    I gotta buddy who is the best in smelling. If you fart he will tell exactly what dish you ate 🤣

  • @ChrisPMadden
    @ChrisPMadden 7 років тому

    What about those of us who have no sense of smell? Due to a head injury, i have not been able to smell anything (zero percent) for over 20 years. Have those memories of places and people vanished?

  • @jmanj3917
    @jmanj3917 Рік тому +1

    It seems that my Smell Vocabulary has me sniffing at a third grade level.

  • @mollykins8h
    @mollykins8h Рік тому

    I could never

  • @kimchikoalaa714
    @kimchikoalaa714 7 років тому +5

    Don't do this in chemistry class, when reacting ammonium salts with alkali ( OR ANY CHEMICAL BASICALLY)

  • @notsigma888
    @notsigma888 Рік тому +1

    Thanks , now I am the real Tanjiro

  • @crippledsalsa9858
    @crippledsalsa9858 7 років тому

    I'm stupidly smelling my glasses now XD

  • @samh3396
    @samh3396 7 років тому +1

    First I'll have to unblock my nose lmao

  • @theicedragon100
    @theicedragon100 7 років тому

    Why is their film grain?

  • @faizasultana2476
    @faizasultana2476 7 років тому +2

    a comment after 10 minutes of the video being uploaded yaaay first feeling when being too early

  • @abrilmartinez7481
    @abrilmartinez7481 5 років тому

    Hellen keller:*smells me* so you're a bad cook me:nope im an astronaut (space partialy smells like burnt steak)

  • @rachelhahn4461
    @rachelhahn4461 7 років тому

    Anyone else thought the olfactory epithelium looked like a cute little caterpillar stuck horrifyingly up our nose?!?!!!

  • @clari2790
    @clari2790 4 роки тому +13

    So, its 2020 now and Demon Slayer be epic.I know there are weebs here....And for all of the weebs, Im watching you...

  • @TCTCyou
    @TCTCyou 5 років тому

    why am I watching this? I can already smell the morning coffee breaths and people who didn't brush their teeth breath from across the subway car. I don't wanna train to smell those even stronger

  • @calebtaylor4153
    @calebtaylor4153 7 років тому

    cool

  • @PujaDevi-nr8qk
    @PujaDevi-nr8qk 2 роки тому

    I have a strong sense of smell and can distinguish things just by smelling anything. But It is hard to believe for the people around because I am the only one like this within the family.
    Long story short: Sometimes boon become bane.