Psychology of Smell, Feather Detective, Translating Happiness

There's More to Smell Than Meets the Nose Guest: Rachel Herz, author, "The Scent of Desire: Discovering our Enigmatic Sense of Smell" Smell, while perhaps your least appreciated sense, actually plays a key role in memory and strengthening relationships. If you fall out of love, for example, you won't be able to stand the smell of your former love. That Weed in Your Yard May Be an Ancient Crop Guest: Elizabeth Horton, Station Archeologist, Toltec Mounds Research Station, Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas The weeds you find in your backyard today may have been the life-sustaining crops of Native American communities 3,000-5,000 years ago. Though today's wild variations aren’t identical to domesticated plants of the past, botanists, archeologists, and anthropologists from all over the US are studying these “lost crops” to learn more about the past and re-envision a potential farming future. Roxie Laybourne: the Smithsonian Ornithologist Who Paved the Way to Safer Flight Guest: Carla Dove, Program Manager, Feather Identification Lab, Smithsonian Institution Among the most significant risks in the world of aviation are birdstrikes. Every year in the US, thousands of aircrafts hit birds, often causing engine failure. Known affectionately as the “feather lady,” Roxie Laybourne was a Smithsonian ornithologist who started cracking these cases, using her discoveries to improve aviation safety. Carla Dove of the Smithsonian Institute weighs in on Roxie’s life and legacy, as well as the field of science she pioneered.  Special thanks to the Smithsonian Archives for audio of Roxie Laybourne. What's the Word For It? Guest: Tim Lomas, Lecturer in Positive Psychology, School of Psychology, University of East London It is often difficult to find the right words to describe what you’re thinking or feeling. Perhaps the words don’t exist. In English at least. That’s where the Positive Lexicography Project comes in. As a dictionary of untranslatable words for well-being, the lexicon is trying to expand po