Children need better education in smelling, says smell historian

A leading historian of smells says children are missing out on education in how to consciously sniff and interpret aromas, and that developing this skill could improve their wellbeing and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

Dr Will Tullett of the University of York said pollution has been shown to impair people's ability to smell, while many everyday items — from margarine to car interiors to homes themselves — have lost their natural odours and are now "reodourised" with synthetic scents. He said it remains an open question how the spread of these synthetic fragrances affects people's ability to tell different smells apart.

Training noses at school and home

Tullett said he would like to see primary and secondary schools teach children to actively use their noses, adding that such training could also happen at home. One method, he said, is simply encouraging people to smell more things, which broadens the vocabulary available for describing other experiences. He compared this to sommeliers, who wander through markets deliberately smelling produce to expand their frame of reference and sharpen their ability to compare different scents.

According to Tullett, thinking carefully about smell can help people understand themselves better — for instance, why certain odours feel comforting — and can offer practical guidance, such as judging whether food is still fresh by smell rather than relying solely on a use-by date. He also cited research linking the ability to enjoy smells with overall wellbeing, noting that loss of smell is often associated with depression and anxiety.

At the same time, Tullett pushed back on the notion that smell is underappreciated, saying people often have vivid memories tied to particular scents but simply lack the vocabulary or confidence to discuss them. He also challenged the common belief that the past smelled worse than the present, saying it simply smelled different. He noted that smell is frequently used to mark social difference, citing cases such as landlords refusing to rent to people of certain ethnicities based on assumptions about food odours.

Tullett's book, Sniff: A History of Smells, is due to be published on 8 September.