Aroma, Olfaction & Using AI to Digitize Smell | Alex Wiltschko | 201

In this episode of the Mind & Matter podcast, Nick Jikomes interviews Alex Wiltschko about the science of smell, or olfaction, and aroma, exploring the disconnect between the two fields and how they relate to biological metabolism. Wiltschko discusses how scent is composed of molecules, particularly those downstream from nutrition, and how the sense of smell has evolved to detect metabolically relevant compounds. They delve into the ecological context of aroma, the limited number of molecules humans are sensitive to, and the plasticity of olfactory perception. Wiltschko also shares his work on creating a high-dimensional olfactory map using graph neural networks and his efforts to digitize smell through his company, Osmo, with potential applications in fragrance, supply chain security, and human health.