Scientists reveal the world’s most popular smell

And other stories from the stranger side of life

A man's nose

Vanilla has been crowned the world’s favourite smell by a team of international experts. Scientists from the University of Oxford and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm presented ten scents, including sweaty feet, decaying fish and rose, to 235 people from nine different cultures around the world, including hunter-gatherers in the south-east Asian rainforest. Joining vanilla in the top three most popular scents was the smell of peaches and lavender, said The Daily Telegraph.

John Travolta goes to Wetherspoons

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