A research reveals your body knows when death is near, and it all starts in the nose

Researchers Arnaud Wisman (University of Kent, UK) and Ilan Shira (Arkansas Tech University, US) suggest that, much like animals, humans have evolved to react to certain smells as a survival instinct. When exposed to putrescine, people instinctively move away, similar to how animals flee from danger.

While the idea of a “smell of death” might sound strange, experts say it’s no different from how we react to other powerful scents, like pheromones. Just as sexual pheromones draw people together, putrescine sends a very different message—avoid it. And, most surprisingly, we’re not even aware of why we feel the urge to run.