Can Google Smell? Why Digitizing Odor Could Be a Business Opportunity

Say, for instance, your company makes bug spray. Google's researchers found that by feeding their neural network with data on how effective various molecules are at repelling mosquitos, the resulting model can go on to predict the mosquito repellency of nearly any molecule. Humans are able to smell things because microscopic molecules are processed by receptors in your nose, which then send a message to your brain. The researchers discovered that over a dozen tested molecules demonstrated repellency at least as strong as DEET, the active ingredient in most insect repellents. These molecules could form the basis for less expensive, longer lasting, and safer spray.