Harmonic Keys to Olfaction and Consciousness - Dr. Luca Turin, University of Buckingham - DSPod #274

Dr Luca Turin is a biophysicist, writer, and perfume connoisseur whose work on fragrances seems to suggest that we don’t smell molecules, per se - we smell the complex vibrations of an atomic structure. Turin came to be convinced of this model for olfaction at the expense of the standard model of receptors binding smell molecules just on the basis of their shape due to a prediction he made about the smell of sulfur. If the pungent odor of rotten eggs and brimstone was due to the vibrational frequency of the sulfur atom attached to the molecule, then any other atom with a similar vibrational frequency, no matter its shape, should also smell of sulfur. He found a compatible molecule in an unexpected place, and the rest fell into place. We talk about his nascent passion for perfumes, why people are so reluctant to smell things, and the overlap between smell, resonance, and consciousness.

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00:00:00 Go!! 00:05:32 Turin's journey into perfume research 00:09:39 Vibrational theory of olfaction emerges 00:15:35 Functional groups key to smell 00:21:39 Electron tunneling spectroscopy inspires olfaction theory 00:30:25 Boron hydride: Rosetta Stone of smell 00:39:19 Vibrational theory gains attention, faces resistance 00:48:38 Anesthetics and mitochondrial electron flow 01:05:27 Consciousness and quantum effects in anesthesia 01:14:07 GPCRs as electronic devices hypothesis 01:25:51 Spin polarization in biological electron transfer 01:38:21 Radio frequency emissions from insect brains 01:46:45 Quantum effects in brain function 02:03:09 Climate change and scientific discourse 02:19:29 Reflections on science and philosophy

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PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities.

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