Smell as a Window into Mind and Brain

Join the Rotman Institute of Philosophy for a talk by Dr. Ann Sophie-Barwich related to her recent book, Smellosophy: What the Nose Tells the Mind.

Attend virtually or in-person. Barwich shows how theories of mind and brain–traditionally framed through our understanding of vision–can be revisited through smell. Specifically, she argues that (1) odor perception is variable but not subjective, and (2) our eyes are more easily fooled than our nose. The central aim of this talk is to illustrate the deep connection of odor perception with cognition. Not only is our perception of smell better than we think, but it is also better when we think.