Science Friday

What cats and dogs hear + A 'smell map' of the nose

May 1, 2026·17 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Animal neuroaudiologist Pete Scheifele joins us to answer some burning questions from SciFri listener Paul: Why can dogs and cats hear a wider range of frequencies than we do? Is it in their ears, their brains? And what would life be like if you had dog ears or cat ears? And, scientists have created the first “smell map” of the nose using a mouse model. Host Flora Lichtman talks with neurobiologist Bob Datta about this latest research, and what it tells us about olfaction. Guests:  Dr. Pete Scheifele is a neuroaudiologist at the University of Cincinnati and executive director of the FETCHLAB, an animal audiology clinic and lab. Dr. Bob Datta is a neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School. Other episodes you may enjoy: What’s That Smell? An AI Nose Knows Blood In The Water: Shark Smell Put To The Test Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

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