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Sniffing Out a Good Time

Ambient smells could make or break a party

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Spotting a good dance party seems pretty easy: throbbing music, swaying bodies, flashing lights. But a new study, published in Chemosensory Perception, shows that partygoers should use their nose to find the best bash. Scientists found that ambient smells such as peppermint and orange increased clubbers’ ratings of the dancing, the club, the music and the overall experience. The researchers say that smell is an important but previously underrated part of the multisensory party experience and that club owners—or hosts at home—could further impress their guests by adding scents to the surroundings.

Carrie Arnold is an independent public health journalist in Virginia.

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SA Mind Vol 22 Issue 5This article was published with the title “Sniffing Out a Good Time” in SA Mind Vol. 22 No. 5 (), p. 9
doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind1111-9c

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