References & Sources

Each nostril smells the world differently

One nostril lets in air faster than the other—they take turns throughout the day—and this affects sensitivity to odors.

References:

Sobel, N. . . . and J.D.E. Gabrieli. 1999. The world smells different to each nostril. Nature 402(Nov. 4):35.

Further Readings:

Travis, J. 1998. Dialing up an embryo. Science News 154(Aug. 15):106.

______. 1998. A meaty answer to a nosy question. Science News 153(Jan. 10):23.

Sources:

Richard L. Doty
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Smell and Taste Center
Philadelphia, PA 19104

John D.E. Gabrieli
Stanford University
Department of Psychology
Program in Neuroscience
Stanford, CA 94305

Noam Sobel
Stanford University
Program in Neuroscience
Stanford, CA 94305

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 19, November 6, 1999, p. 293. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.