How we smell things can differ for each of your nostrils, study finds

If you've experienced a 3D movie with those stylish glasses, you may have observed how the film appears different through both lenses. The red lens shifts details to one side, while the blue pulls things in another direction. When combined, they create a splendid 3D movie experience.

Recent research has shed light on a similar phenomenon possibly happening in our nostrils! Our sense of smell, often overlooked compared to vision and hearing, has been the focus of a study revealing the intriguing independence of our two nostrils and how our brain processes scents.

The study, involving ten epilepsy patients aimed to comprehend how information from each nostril is processed in the human olfactory system. Remarkably, the study discovered that the same smell triggered slightly different brain activity from each nostril, implying a potential disparity in how we perceive smells from each.

Moreover, when participants used both nostrils to smell, the researchers observed two distinct bursts of brain activity with a small delay between them, suggesting that one nostril might transmit signals slightly ahead of the other.

We already know that having two nostrils improves our ability to identify odours quickly, akin to the advantages of having two eyes and ears. Perhaps this slight information delay and the nostril-specific difference in brain activity contribute to this acceleration.

Previous studies have demonstrated that rats can "smell in stereo," aiding them in pinpointing the source of a smell accurately. This research explores whether humans might share this ability.

As scientists delve deeper into the mysteries of our dual nostrils, the study opens new avenues for understanding how our brains navigate and make sense of the intricate information collected from our environment.

The findings of this study have been published in Current Biology and can be accessed here.