I've only smelled earthworms in mono...

February 7, 2013 9:00 AM

The common mole is nearly blind, but it makes up for its poor eyesight with a nose that can smell in stereo
posted by boygeorge (9 comments total)

Unless you're the last mole in the tunnel.

Then all you smell is molasses.

/third grade joke
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:15 AM on February 7, 2013 [7 favorites]

I think I always assumed that smell wasn't directional, since, unlike some of the other senses, you only smell the molecules that are physically close to your nose.
posted by Phredward at 9:19 AM on February 7, 2013

Mole-cules.
posted by Mooseli at 9:27 AM on February 7, 2013

I found out from a snake handler at the Boston Museum of Science that snakes also "smell" in stereo with their forked tongues, so the tongue functions (like stereo hearing) as a direction finder.
posted by grubby at 10:01 AM on February 7, 2013

I've only smelled earthworms in mono,
and for that, I'm eternally glad,
for, spelunking, I'd have to smell guano.
I'd say these poor moles have been had.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 10:11 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

Hi-fi moles eschew stereo for the purity of the mono mix.
posted by scruss at 10:45 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

Well, I'm glad we learned something from sticking things up mole noses.
posted by orme at 10:59 AM on February 7, 2013

Catania placed a mole into a circular arena with food wells spaced around a 180-degree circle.

Ugh, science journalism. Do you mean 180-degree arc?
posted by axiom at 11:22 AM on February 7, 2013

"Even humans can do this if pushed to it"

I cannot wait to put this in the special skills section on my résumé and see the look on smell the reaction of my interviewer.
posted by comradechu at 11:36 AM on February 7, 2013