Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

105 | Ann-Sophie Barwich on the Science and Philosophy of Smell

Jul 13, 2020

Ann-Sophie Barwich, a philosopher and neuroscientist specializing in olfaction, explains why smell deserves more attention in our understanding of consciousness. She challenges the primacy of vision by highlighting the complexities of the olfactory experience and its interplay with taste. Barwich delves into how molecular structures influence scent perception, and how our context can drastically alter our interpretation of odors. She also explores the fascinating cognitive processes behind wine tasting and discusses how olfactory cues play a significant role in decision-making, particularly in romantic contexts.

01:17:45

Episode guests

Ann-Sophie Barwich

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Episode notes

Intro

4min

The Power of Smell: Reassessing Sensory Perception

12min

The Intricacies of Smell: Understanding Molecular Perception

4min

The Fascinating Nonlinearity of Molecular Smells

2min

The Art and Science of Wine Tasting

9min

The Complex Nature of Smell and Contextual Perception

4min

The Philosophy of Smell and Perception

19min

The Smell of Decision-Making

24min

We gather empirical evidence about the nature of the world through our senses, and use that evidence to construct an image of the world in our minds. But not all senses are created equal; in practice, we tend to privilege vision, with hearing perhaps a close second. Ann-Sophie Barwich wants to argue that we should take smell more seriously, and that doing so will give us new insights into how the brain works. As a working philosopher and neuroscientist, she shares a wealth of fascinating information about how smell works, how it shapes the way we think, and what it all means for questions of free will and rationality.

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Ann-Sophie Barwich received her Ph.D. in Philosophy at the Centre for the Study of the Life Sciences, University of Exeter. She is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Cognitive Science Program at Indiana University Bloomington. She has previously been a Presidential Scholar in Society and Neuroscience at The Center for Science & Society, Columbia University, and held a Research Fellowship at the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Vienna. Her new book is Smellosophy: What the Nose Tells the Mind.

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