A Big Think essay argues we haven't lost our sense of smell — we've lost the skill of using it. Packaging, refrigeration, and schools that treat odors as shameful have let our 'nasal knowledge' wither, even as retailers now ask shoppers to sniff-test milk.
As stores drop 'best before' dates to cut food waste, people are told to trust their noses again — but most were never taught how. Meanwhile, many confuse 'best before' (quality) with 'use by' (safety), risking both wasted food and spoiled food. Rebuilding scent literacy is becoming a practical daily skill, not a hobby.
✦ Smell is a skill we stopped teaching — and one we're about to need again.