ARTICLE 43 — THE HUMAN WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY SENSE OF SMELL
Smell is often underestimated because humans possess less olfactory sensitivity than many other mammals.
Yet the chemical world contains enormous information.
Chemical Detection
Odors are mixtures of molecules.
Different substances produce different chemical signatures.
A highly sensitive olfactory system could potentially distinguish environmental changes invisible to ordinary perception.
The Human Chemical Detective
Imagine entering a room and detecting:
- smoke,
- cleaning chemicals,
- food,
- plants,
- soil,
- moisture,
- and traces of other environmental substances.
The person might build an internal chemical map.
Memory
Smell is strongly associated with memory.
An extraordinary olfactory system could therefore become an extraordinary memory system.
Specific environments might be recognized through subtle chemical signatures.
The Cost
Extreme sensitivity could be unpleasant.
Cities contain thousands of odors.
Crowded environments could become overwhelming.
The superhuman would require powerful sensory filtering.
The ability to detect more is only useful when the brain can decide what to ignore.
