The Science Behind Our Sense of Smell and Insect Brains

Researchers studied locusts to understand why certain smells are appealing while others are not. They found that locusts innately preferred scents resembling grass and banana, while rejecting almond and citrus-like smells. The study provides insights into how an organism's preferences can constrain its learning ability, particularly in relation to the timing of rewards. The researchers also discovered that the timing of reward delivery during training was crucial for the locusts' association of scents with rewards. This research sheds light on how sensory signals are processed in the brain and how preferences are encoded.