Send us a text

Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and on YouTube. Partial versions are available elsewhere.

About the Guest: Alex Wiltschko holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard, focusing on olfaction. He transitioned from academic research to AI at Google before founding Osmo, where he applies his expertise in digitizing scents. He aims to innovate in areas like fragrance design and health applications.

Episode Summary: Dr. Wiltschko explores the science of smell, discussing the divide between aroma and olfaction studies and how biological metabolism influences scent. He explains how only a tiny fraction of molecules emitted by strawberries are responsible for their smell, illustrating the precision of olfactory perception. The conversation also covers how Osmo is working to digitize scent, creating technology for safer, custom fragrances and potential future applications like non-invasive disease detection through scent.

Key Takeaways:

• Aroma vs. Olfaction: There's a significant distinction in how the chemistry of scent creation (aroma) and brain processing of scents (olfaction) are studied, with little crossover between these fields.
• Biological Metabolism and Scent: Scent molecules are often byproducts of biological processes, with a complex relationship to nutrition and survival cues.
• Digitizing Scent: Osmo is pioneering the use of AI to digitize and manipulate scents, potentially revolutionizing fragrance design and detection technologies.
• Fragrance Innovation: The company focuses on creating unique, safe, and affordable fragrances for smaller brands, leveraging AI for quick design and production.

Related episodes:

• M&M #114: Marijuana, Plant Chemistry, Terpenes, Volatile Sulfur Compounds, Cannabis Industry, What Pungent Weed Smells Like & Why | Iain Oswald

*Not medical advice.

Support the show

Affiliates:

• Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. MINDMATTER gets you 15% off.
• AquaTru: Water filtration devices that remove microplastics, metals, bacteria, and more from your drinking water. Through link, $100 off AquaTru Carafe, Classic & Under Sink Units; $300 off Freestanding models.
• Seed Oil Scout: Find restaurants with seed oil-free options, scan food products to see what they’re hiding, with this easy-to-use mobile app.
• KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + electrolytes formulated for kidney health. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime)

For all the ways you can support my efforts