Your nose has a point of view.
Hackathon prototype. Measurements and sample formulas are exploratory.
Smell mostly skips the brain's usual relay
The primary olfactory pathway reaches cortex without an obligatory thalamic relay. Smell connects with emotion and memory networks, but the thalamus still participates. A small five-woman fMRI study and a 93-person older-adult memory study motivate curiosity, not a promise of better memory.
Confidence deserves careful wording.
One deodorant study found confidence and video-rating differences. The product included antimicrobial agents as well as fragrance, and photographs showed no group difference. We cannot promise that perfume makes someone more attractive or confident.
Different receptors. Different experiences.
Humans have about 400 intact olfactory-receptor genes. Function varies, and OR7D4 variants affect perception of androstenone. Some people are less sensitive to particular musks. Our ratings explore preferences; they do not identify your genes or diagnose smell loss.
Skin and longevity: a starting question.
A ten-person laboratory study linked some skin properties with evaporation. It did not validate our consumer blot photos or a tuned perfume's benefit. Oil-based tier adjustments are exploratory perfumer rules, and still need measurement-agreement and blind-comparison tests.
pH is recorded, never a formula lever.
Skin is usually acidic; a fixed range is not a health verdict. Water, washing, products and photo conditions can affect the reading. We record skin and control strips with confidence notes. pH evidence is too weak for formula tuning, so it has no formula effect.
A pause. No magic beans.
Pause between samples: 5 seconds for the intensity vials and 15 seconds for the blind bases. Breathe normally in unscented air. Recovery varies; a timer cannot guarantee a reset. In the sample demo, you can skip the pause to explore the flow.
A ladder inspired by sensory testing.
A blank can reveal a false alarm, and a strong sample can flag a missed response. Our four-vial ladder is simpler than the validated Sniffin' Sticks staircase. It is a sensitivity cue for this prototype, not a clinical threshold test.
A perfumer reviews every formula before mixing.
Not a medical or diagnostic device.