Why do humans prefer some smells over others?
Dina Al-qassar
There are currently two theories for why humans prefer some smells over others. One theory states that we are born with preferences to certain smells. However, another increasingly supported theory suggests that smell preferences are learned. Early in human development, we begin associating certain smells with emotional experiences – smells detected during enjoyable experiences can be perceived as pleasant. Taking this second viewpoint, it’s easy to explain how we determine whether smells are dangerous or not: we learn. This has been exploited to ensure easier detection of gas leaks. Gas naturally has no discernible smell. However, a strong smell is added so that when we detect the smell we associate it with danger and can raise the alarm.