"On a winter’s evening, the smell of wood smoke from a chimney can be pleasant, even comforting," says a Cornell Research article. "Encountered inside a house in July, the smell of burning wood is alarming. The same sensory signal may have widely varying implications depending on the situation."
The results from this research, which received an award from the National Institutes of Health, could inform mental health therapies, such as desensitization strategies for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Simon Wheeler
Pianist Alexander Melnikov performs on three instruments from the Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards during a 2024 concert in Barnes Hall.