Even with years of study and tech advances, some things about our bodies still stump docs and researchers. Given how complex we are, it’s no shocker.
Some claim a sixth sense to predict things. New research shows we might sense death’s approach. When a body starts to break down after death, it gives off putrescine, a nasty, toxic smell. Turns out, humans subconsciously pick up on this stench. And it prompts an instant reaction.
Researchers Arnaud Wisman (University of Kent, UK) and Ilan Shira (Arkansas Tech University, US) say like animals, we sense smells and act. It’s a survival instinct across species.
When hit with putrescine’s smell, people react both consciously and subconsciously. Experiments show they move away, like animals fleeing or fighting danger.
Some researchers say it’s odd to think of a smell as scary, but scents do make us more alert.
Sex pheromones, which draw the sexes together, are another example of scent’s power.
Putrescine sends a different message than pheromones. People avoid it, unlike their response to sexual pheromones. And we’re not aware of the smell’s link to death or fear.
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