14 DAY TRIAL // Most people are all too familiar with the fact that, as complex as a five-flavored ice cream topped with some caramel and chocolate syrup might seem, there are merely five main flavors than humans can detect with the help of their tongue.
A new paper in the September 18 issue of the journal PLOS one argues that, regardless of its complexity, the world of smells can also be organized in categories.
Thus, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory claim that, according to their investigations, there are 10 basic odor qualities.
These are as follows: fragrant, woody/resinous, fruity (non-citrus), chemical, minty/peppermint, sweet, popcorn, lemon, pungent and decayed, EurekAlert tells us. The last two are the sickening ones in the bunch, the researchers explain.
The scientists now wish to carry out further experiments and figure out whether or not it is possible to predict what a compound smells like by looking at its chemical makeup alone.