Bill Nye the Science Guy on the Sense of Smell

I’ve looked at the sense of smell this week. Here is a great video from Bill Nye the Science Guy about the sense of smell.

This video covers how the sense of smell works. He describes how air goes in the nostril and sensors there detect the smell of molecules in the air. He describes how molecules have “shapes” and our sense of smell and olfactory nerves translate that into the smell of a particular thing. There is a giant nose and talk of mucus which kids will enjoy.

Viewers will take a visit to the Snoot T Cafe, where visitors can “see” smell. Another clip features Smell Gibson in Rancid.

Bill Nye discusses how the sense of smell protects humans and other animals. He gives examples like rancid food and how the gas company adds odor to natural gas to help us detect gas leaks.

There is a demonstration of the How Smell Affects Taste science investigation. There is also a clip which shows how a dog uses its sense of smell to detect termites and carpenter ants in homes. The video explains how ants use their sense of smell to communicate and  follow a trail to food.

Bill Nye explains how animals like moths, flies, and fish which don’t have noses can also smell.  He describes the amazing sense of smell which sharks have.

There is also information about how epithelial cells fatigue, causing odors to become less intense. It includes a brief explanation of how smell triggers memories.

Science Rules!