Word: scent
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...narrow cobblestone paths girded by simple stone walls ring with the sound of mountain waters rushing through ancient canals. The scent of wood fires fills the air as villagers begin to stir. A woman dressed in traditional colorful skirts leans out to check the street. Above her, mysterious Incan ruins look back down over the valley. It is dawn, and Ollantaytambo appears the same as it has for centuries...
...best times to visit the region are early April, when the rhododendron festivals are held, and the fall, when the foliage offers a stunning backdrop to the mists. But the view, enhanced by the ever-present scent of sandalwood and pine, is spectacular in any season...
...live-vividly-in-the-moment approach is a handy tool that has 1,001 uses around the house. Thus: a husband comes home at five in the morning with the scent of another woman lingering about his person. "Where were you?" the wife demands. "Darling," the husband replies, "I am vividly in the present tense. I dare you to join me there!" (Good luck in trying that...
When substances this potent hit the sensory systems of a relatively unsophisticated animal, they pack a big behavioral wallop. Pheromones emitted by queen bees prevent other females from maturing sexually, ensuring that the queen's genes remain dominant. Among fish, scent markers released by females cause male sperm counts to quintuple overnight. When injured by a predator, some amphibians emit a compound that warns others of their species to keep out of harm...
...there ever was one. Male voles use urine as a potent aphrodisiac, excreting a chemical that causes females to ovulate within 48 hours. "Identify anything that's of biological significance to animals," says Rachel Herz of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, "and it's usually mediated by scent...