In my favorite scientific study of the week, researchers discovered that humans, not unlike our friends the dogs, rely quite a bit on scent to assess new people. Just because we don’t bend down and sniff butt hole doesn’t mean we’re not taking an important introductory whiff when we meet someone new. The study, done in Poland, had 30 men and 30 women without perfume, deodorant, or scented soap, wear white cotton tees. Their T-shirts were then given to people to sniff and predict what kind of person the shirt belonged to. Researchers found that we have the ability to predict certain personality traits — like extroversion, neurosis, and dominance — with great accuracy just by using our noses. This means smell is particularly important when sniffing out a mate. Always make sure his personality smells good before accepting a second date. [Live Science]
