I selected a news story that describes a recent study by Swedish scientists from the Karolinska Institutet who investigated the sense of smell. They made an unexpected discovery and refuted the traditional view of the relationship between smell and avoidance behavior. This news story appears attractive because it highlights that people have not sufficiently studied the human body and its reactions. In addition, the article is exciting because it draws attention to the importance of the olfactory system in avoiding dangerous situations.
According to the news story, researchers have proven that the reaction to foul odors is unconscious and not a conscious cognitive response, as previously thought. Using their self-developed method, they measured the speed of a nerve impulse to the brain. Investigators have found that when unpleasant scents are inhaled, the signal reaches the brain in 100-150 seconds, and the person tries to avoid the source of the odor. However, such a rapid reaction cannot occur due to conscious cognitive processes since they take more time to respond. Research discoveries suggest that odor reactions are unconscious, automatic defense mechanisms in avoiding potentially risky situations.
I consider this discovery a severe step towards understanding human reactions and determining the human body’s defense mechanisms. The conscious and unconscious concepts are still shrouded in mystery, and more research should be done to close the knowledge gap. I was curious about this news story since I never knew that the olfactory system plays such a significant role in avoiding dangerous situations. This article pushed me to a deeper consideration of human reactions and recognizing unconscious or conscious ones.
I chose the news story about findings related to the olfactory systems. The article covered the study describing the sense of smell as critical for recognizing and reacting to potentially unsafe circumstances. I found this news story interesting because it represents the newest discoveries related to human reactions. I realized that the relationship between avoidance behavior and the olfactory system is underestimated. It is amusing how much is unknown in our bodies.