Scent, in Silico
5 days ago
- #AI
- #perfumery
- #olfaction
- Smell is our most primal and emotionally potent sense, influencing memory, taste, and behavior.
- Unlike vision or hearing, scent resists straightforward formalization due to molecular diversity and subjective perception.
- Tech giants like Google and startups such as Osmo are using AI to digitize smell, encoding scent molecules into data.
- Digital scent has practical applications, including threat detection, disease diagnosis, and sustainable fragrance production.
- Smell originated over 3 billion years ago in bacteria, evolving into a complex sensory system in humans.
- Humans have 356 distinct olfactory receptors, with variability between individuals explaining scent subjectivity.
- The Principal Odor Map (POM) by Google captures perceptual relationships between molecules, enabling scent prediction and design.
- Osmo's Olfactory Intelligence platform creates novel fragrance molecules and sustainable alternatives to natural ingredients.
- Traditional perfumery faces challenges in balancing natural and synthetic ingredients, with cultural and ethical considerations.
- Digitizing scent could expand our olfactory range and deepen our connection to nature through technology.