SciAm.com: Physicists have now analyzed the proposed mechanism linking a sense of smell with molecular vibrations and deemed it plausible. The new calculations by no means prove the theory, but they give it added legitimacy, says biophysicist and perfumer Luca Turin, who developed the idea. “Most people would probably feel that if it can be done at all, evolution has managed to make use of it.” A paper explaining the research appears in Physical Review Letters.
The finding that the Saturnian moon may host layers of icy slush instead of a global ocean could change how planetary scientists think about other icy moons as well.
Modeling the shapes of tree branches, neurons, and blood vessels is a thorny problem, but researchers have just discovered that much of the math has already been done.
January 29, 2026 12:52 PM
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