A rose is not a rose

The old saying goes, "a rose is a rose is a rose." Scientists, however know otherwise. Two humans can describe and react to the same smell quite differently. In a recent study at Rockefeller University in NY, some human subjects found the compound androstenone to be appealing and sweet, others found it to be foul and offensive, and others could not smell it at all. Going on a hunch, the scientists examined each subjects' genetic code, and found that how the subjects perceived androstenone depended on a single gene. This is one step in unravelling the links between our genetic code and our senses. link audio link