Smell opportunities

The use of multiple senses in chemistry experiments represents a more effective approach at mentally stimulating students and provides a better opportunity for memory retention as suggested by the effects of multisensory input in virtual environment experiments (Dinh et al. 1999). Research shows that olfactory stimuli enhance memory recognition (Cann and Ross 1989) and that once an aroma is retained, there is long-term resistance to distortion (Engen and Ross 1973). Coupling the sense of smell to hearing and touch provides a powerful combination to explore chemical principles in the laboratory. 

I SHOULD HAVE been glad to be alone. I should have enjoyed the tranquillity of the laboratory, the smell of sunlight on old wood, the meditation over the alembic, the opportunity to delve deep into near-impenetrable texts. Alchemy, after all, is altogether a safer and more predictable art than life. Alchemy involves no physical journeys, no interaction with living human beings. The alchemist suffers heartbreak and disappointment, but not often betrayal. 

Performance of Experiments A good observer has been described as a person who has learned to use his senses of touch, sight, smell and hearing in an intelligent and alert manner. We want children to observe what happens in experiments and to have ample opportunities to state their... 

There were, however, few who were ready to take advantage of this opportunity. Only two or three contributions on the program of the first ISOT were directly related to the problems of the communicatory role of smell. In subsequent meetings, this area was somewhat more strongly represented. Nevertheless, what was important was the indication of the emerging awareness that there was a need to study chemical signaling in the olfactory behaviour of animals. 

Owners could advertise their identity using a "territory owner pheromone," but existing observations support an alternative idea which I have presented elsewhere (Gosling, 1982). This is that owners distribute scent marks in their territory where they are most likely to be detected by intruders and then provide an opportunity for intruders to compare the smell of the marks with their own smell. If the smells match, then the animal that the intruder has met must be the territory owner. 

There are some studies which show that education can lead to improvement in formal thinking. We are in the exploratory stage of research in this area but there ate consistencies that seem to be emerging. First, the inclusion of concrete experience—i.e. opportunities to actually touch, smell, see, and manipulate materials that would lead to the concept—appears to be important. ... 

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