Smell Life

Discovering our enigmatic sense of smell.

Rachel Herz is a leading expert on the psychology of smell. She is on the faculty at Brown University. She is the author of The Scent of Desire. See full bio

October 20, 2009

Illegal Odors

I recently read that Honolulu is seeking to criminalize "being too smelly" on public transit. According to an article posted by the Associated Press on September 2, 2009, two city councilmen have co-sponsored an anti-odor bill that would impose a $500 fine or up to six months in prison to any bus rider convicted of failing the sniff test. Read More

June 18, 2009

The Truth About Pheromones: Part 2

Pheromones come in two forms: "primer pheromones" that cause slow, long-term physiological changes such, as hormonal effects; and "releaser" (or signaling) pheromones that produce rapid behavioral effects, such as mating. Pheromones are not cognitively processed chemical signals, but rather elicit instinctive and presumably unconscious responses. Read More

May 18, 2009

The Truth About Pheromones: Part 1

The tank tops are on, the shorts are tight, the skirts and short... summer's coming and we're baring our bods in hopes of snaring some fun summer love or more. Not only are we looking at each others biceps, thighs, chests and faces, we "sense" each other too-with our noses. What are our noses telling us? Read More

March 19, 2009

Fragrant Attraction

Are you searching for sex in a bottle? Do liquid aphrodisiacs exist? What is the power of fragrance for sexual attraction? Come and find out... Read More

February 3, 2009

The Scent of Sex

This is the month when we turn our hearts and minds to love. February 14, our calendar's date for romance, became connected with St. Valentine in the high middle ages, and has evolved to be celebrated with love notes, mass consumption of chocolate, and first or special dates. Read More

January 5, 2009

Smell Your Way Thin?

If you're like me then you're currently preoccupied with getting rid of the evidence of the past weeks' excesses that's hanging over your waist band. Your appetite and penchant for high-fat treats seems to have grown-who wants to eat an orange when there's turtle cheesecake in the fridge?! And what are you supposed to do with the boxes of chocolates your evil friends gave you? Read More

December 5, 2008

Making Scents of the Holidays

Our experience of the holidays just wouldn't be the same without our noses-in fact it would be sadly bland, and I'm not just talking about food. The scents that emanate from certain dishes, certain plants, certain candles and a host of other specific holiday items are intimately tied to our emotions and our past. Read More

November 6, 2008

Comfort Smelling

Have you ever had to cancel a dinner date or miss an important meeting because your toddler pitched such a fit when you tried to leave the house that there was no other way to soothe him than to stay home? Read More

Books by Rachel Herz, Ph.D.

The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell

Evolutionary Psychology Basics

Our bodies evolved over eons, slowly calibrating to the African savanna on which 98 percent of our ancestors lived and died. So, too, did our brains. Evolutionary psychology postulates that the mind is shaped by pressure to survive and reproduce. We jealously guard romantic partners and cherish our closest relatives above all others, lest we fail to pass on our genes.

Go to the Evolutionary Psychology Basics page for more on Evolutionary Psychology including:

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Books by Rachel Herz, Ph.D.

Evolutionary Psychology Basics

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