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Oct 14, 2023

Recreating the fragrance of the Moon in a lab

Nic Fleming is a freelance science writer based in Bristol, UK. You can also

Nic Fleming is a freelance science writer based in Bristol, UK.

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Michael Moisseeff is a retired consultant at the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, in France, and a sculptor of scents near Toulouse. Credit: Georges Gobet/AFP via Getty

Most animals use odours to locate food, find mates, maintain social bonds and avoid enemies. Humans are relatively poorly equipped to do any of this, because we have a lot fewer olfactory receptors than dogs or elephants, for example. Many people fail to appreciate how important smells are for the enhancement of their lives.

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Nature 616, 622 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01301-9

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