Scientists working on project to create ‘scents from the past’
BUZZ fam, scientists are working on a more than US$3 dollar project to bring back scents from the past.
Apparently, knowing what happened in the past is not enough, we also need to smell them? Anyway, the project is called Odeuropa and will use artificial intelligence to recreate aromas that were inhaled by the world’s inhabitants between 500 and 100 years ago.
The idea is to give the raw information to chemists and perfumers to create a modern-day version of the now-extinct smell. These can then be provided to museums and attractions to provide a more authentic experience for visitors.
It will include the use of herbs to protect against diseases such as the plague, as well as industrial scents and the harsh tones of tobacco.
The artificial intelligence will scour old texts for descriptions of smells in seven languages and collate them for experts to peruse.
The project is being worked on by experts from different institutions including UCL, Anglia Ruskin University and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, have received a €2.8 million (US$1.5 million) grant from the the EU Horizon 2020 programme for the project.
