Scientists have found that the addition of artificial snot enhances the performance of electronic noses. Although they sound futuristic, electronic noses are used for many purposes, including monitoring for spoiled beverages at bottling plants, and detection of pollutants inside space craft. Nasal mucus (aka snot) enhances the sense of smell in our old-school, natural noses by dissolving and separating scent molecules for delivery to scent receptors. Using artificial polymers that mimic actual snot, the researchers were able to distinguish between scents that were previously difficult using the artificial nose, such as milk and cream. What’s next in the artificial body fluid field? Would artificial earwax enhance hearing with fake ears? Could artificial tears make robots, er, sadder? Maybe we should just stick with the snot for now.

Electronic Nose vs. Real Nose Dr. Julian Gardner sniffs out the competition: An electronic nose with artificial snot. A worthy rival, but nothing a few swift sneezes can’t handle.