How can smell predict the future? Some people seem to know when a storm is coming even before clouds gather and rain falls — they literally can smell it. You’ve probably caught a whiff of the earthy scent known as “petrichor.” It’s common where rain falls on dry soil, releasing a molecule called geosmin that aerosolizes with various constituents of the soil for the signature aroma. Slower-moving raindrops produce more aerosols, so we smell petrichor more during light rain. People with a good nose can smell petrichor while the sun still shines. Is it going too far to call them great prog-nose-ticators?
Can You Smell Rain Coming? Here’s the Science
Some dogs can smell cancer cells. Some people can do the same for rain.
ILLUSTRATION BY NOEMI FABRA
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