Part-Time Genius How Scientists Are Reviving Lost Smells
Nov 21, 2025
Curious about the scents of history? Discover how scientists are recreating ancient fragrances, from Cleopatra's perfume to Hawaii's extinct flowers. The hosts dive into the complexities of smell perception, the impact of pollution, and how urban odors shape our identities. They even explore unique projects like the Resurrecting the Sublime, which uses DNA to bring back lost floral scents. Plus, learn about digital scent technology and its potential to evoke memories in innovative ways!
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Recreating Cleopatra's Signature Scent
- Dora Goldsmith and Sean Coughlin recreated Cleopatra's perfume using historical clues and likely ingredients.
- They mixed desert date oil, myrrh, cinnamon and pine resin to approximate Mendigian.
Recreate Versus Reconstruct In Scent Work
- 'Recreating' uses historical recipes; 'reconstructing' uses chemical analysis of residues.
- Otaropa's heritage smell library documents historically significant olfactory reconstructions.
How Museums Capture Historic Smells
- Cecilia Bimbibre captures volatiles by sealing objects and absorbing headspace compounds on carbon fiber.
- She then analyzes them with gas chromatography to identify the chemical fingerprint of a smell.
