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About the Guest: Alex Wiltschko holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard, focusing on olfaction. He transitioned from academic research to AI at Google before founding Osmo, where he applies his expertise in digitizing scents. He aims to innovate in areas like fragrance design and health applications.
Episode Summary: Dr. Wiltschko explores the science of smell, discussing the divide between aroma and olfaction studies and how biological metabolism influences scent. He explains how only a tiny fraction of molecules emitted by strawberries are responsible for their smell, illustrating the precision of olfactory perception. The conversation also covers how Osmo is working to digitize scent, creating technology for safer, custom fragrances and potential future applications like non-invasive disease detection through scent.
Key Takeaways:
Aroma vs. Olfaction: There's a significant distinction in how the chemistry of scent creation (aroma) and brain processing of scents (olfaction) are studied, with little crossover between these fields.
Biological Metabolism and Scent: Scent molecules are often byproducts of biological processes, with a complex relationship to nutrition and survival cues.
Digitizing Scent: Osmo is pioneering the use of AI to digitize and manipulate scents, potentially revolutionizing fragrance design and detection technologies.
Fragrance Innovation: The company focuses on creating unique, safe, and affordable fragrances for smaller brands, leveraging AI for quick design and production.
Health Applications: There's potential for scent technology in health, like detecting diseases early through the volatile chemicals humans emit.
Leadership and Entrepreneurship: Alex shares insights on transitioning from science to business, emphasizing the importance of leadership skills in managing a tech startup.
Future Prospects: Osmo aims to expand the use of scent technology into various consumer and health applications, envisioning a future where digital scent enhances experiences and well-being.
Related episodes:
M&M #114: Marijuana, Plant Chemistry, Terpenes, Volatile Sulfur Compounds, Cannabis Industry, What Pungent Weed Smells Like & Why | Iain Oswald
M&M #22: Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Animal Behavior & Giving Computers a Sense of Smell | Alex Wiltschko
*Not medical advice.
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