In a magical scene towards the end of 2007 film Ratatouille , notoriously harsh food critic Anton Ego is instantly transported back in time, his childhood memories revived by a spoonful of the film's eponymous dish. No pictures were needed – just the taste and scent of the food.

Smell is the quietest of our senses, but also one of the most powerful. Indeed, it can even open the floodgates to memories we thought long forgotten.

It is also the most personal and subjective sense , which is what makes it so hard for people to agree on what smells good. However, there does seem to be consensus on the worst smell in the world.

In 1889, in a German laboratory, a chemical reaction involving a compound called thioacetone produced a stink so terrible that it caused people to vomit and fai

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