Is a Giant Purple Nipple the Digital Nose of the Future?

Osh Agabi’s solution to one of biotechnology’s thorniest problems looks like an iridescent purple nipple the size of a steering wheel. Other than that, it’s inconspicuous. It doesn’t beep or pulse or hum. Hanging from a wall, it just sits quietly and smells.

Airports, arenas, factories, people—they all stink, and they stink in particular ways. We know this because our noses tell us so. But attempts to re-create our oldest sensory experience with machines and technology have been woefully lacking. Modern everyday devices might be smart enough to recognize our faces and voices, read our pulses, and track our motions, but they can’t smell. The best example of a commercial device that can reliably pick up chemical signals in the air hasn’t changed in years. It’s called a smoke detector.