Comments on: Mammals Have a Nose for Danger (Literally)

By: carol kaplan

carol kaplan — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:46:38 +0000

My dog found my cancer. I had lost 20 lbs and had gone to my doctor who did blood work, examined me and said I was fine. However my dog who was a “helper dog” who had literally got me walking again after spinal damage and so was probably very attuned to my body began sniffing my tummy and whining. He would paw me and look into my face with great concern. After two weeks of this
I contacted a friend involved in medical research who was able to get me a rapid PET scan as a research volunteer. My cancer was found exactly where my dog was sniffing. If it wasn’t for his alarm I would be dead right now.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:51:56 +0000

Eliza,
where can I find more information about research into smell, pheromones etc?
Many thanks
Richard

By: john

john — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:37:13 +0000

how come it has taken the scientist so long to come up with proof about what statements acquired brain injury owners often experience, somehow we end up being able to first smell when we or someone around us is in a physical dangerous situation then the intuitive sense kicks in but when we speak about what we feel we are either dismissed as being unable to recognized the after effects of our injuries or medicated to control our socially unacceptable outbursts.
wait until the american and canadian tropps come back from the middle east and he afghanistan bomb blasts where they are not visibly injured then ask them how they know what their sense of smell tells them about what they are expeireinncing.
great article lots of truth.

By: J Beran

J Beran — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:48:35 +0000

This is amazingly interesting. I would love to follow the progression of this research, especially as it follows into the world of finance. Possibly leading to more scientific explainations of ‘market panic’ on Wall Street and other major physical exchanges the world over. I have always wondered if and how a market crash or abrupt rally may better be explained by biology than psychology – though the two are obviously at fault.

It is unfortunate that more of this research does not make its way into mainstream readings and teachings. Supervisors and managers would benefit greatly from understanding what makes their teams act as they do in extreme circumstances.

By: Eliza Strickland

Eliza Strickland — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:36:06 +0000

It’s interesting — not much is known about alarm pheromones in mammals yet. Researchers aren’t even sure where in the body they’re produced. But the researchers “could collect the pheromones by simply stressing mice and sucking up the air around them,” the New York Times says.

I just skimmed some of the scientific literature for the best guesses on these pheromones; it looks like they may be emitted by a gland in the groin, and may be “low-molecular-weight volatile substances.”

By: beach bum

beach bum — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:20:00 +0000

This is SO INTERESTING! You know you can “feel” bad vibes when there is a fight breaking out, maybe we are actually smelling them! I wonder if we also can smell other emotions? Think about being at the happiest party, or wedding, or some wonderful gathering. Is part of what makes it so wonderful the fact that we are all producing “happy smell”?

Where do the mice produce the smell from? Does it come out of an orifice or emanate from their skin?

By: Kim

Kim — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:24:07 +0000

Now we at least know why animals freak out at the vets´!