From the magazine

Why do we assume smell is our weakest sense?

When it comes to the power of association, smell is unmatched, says Jonas Olofsson. It can take us back to childhood in an instant

Rose George
 Getty Images
EXPLORE THE ISSUE 25 January 2025
issue 25 January 2025

Rose George has narrated this article for you to listen to.

My cat can smell depression. Another family cat could smell my stepfather’s dementia. They both became more affectionate and tactile: the dementia-smelling cat would gently paw my stepfather, when he hadn’t even liked her when he had been well.

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