Can humans track odors like dogs?

Humans can indeed track odors like dogs, though it requires training and practice. In a notable experiment conducted by Professor Noam Sobel's lab, participants were able to track a chocolate scent trail with high accuracy. The experiment involved completely depriving participants of their other senses, such as sight and touch, and they quickly learned to follow the scent trail effectively 1 2.

The study found that within about four days of training, participants could track scents as quickly as they could crawl, demonstrating that human olfaction is much more powerful than typically recognized. Additionally, the experiment highlighted that having two separate nostrils improves scent tracking ability, akin to the spatial advantage provided by having two eyes or ears 2.

Dr. Andrew Huberman, along with Dr. Sobel, elaborates on this topic in multiple clips from the Huberman Lab. They discuss the inherent capabilities of human smell and how, through specific training and sensory deprivation, humans can enhance their olfactory skills significantly 3 4. This research illustrates that while humans may not naturally exhibit the same degree of olfactory prowess as dogs, our sense of smell is far more sophisticated and trainable than commonly believed.