Past Scent (and Other Senses)
From The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families by Mick Sullivan
April 30, 2026 · 34 min
About this episode
The episode explores the journey of recreating the scent of an extinct flower from the 19th century.
How did an extinct flower not seen since 1881 wind up being the subject of a modern day project to recreate a scent from the past? It was a long path from Dr. Charles Short in the 1860s to Dr. Christina Agapakis in the 2010s. And it's a cool story!
People in this episode
Host: Mick Sullivan
Topics covered
- extinct flowers
- scent recreation
- history of botany
- scientific projects
- 19th century science
- modern science
Keywords
- extinct flower
- scent
- Dr. Charles Short
- Dr. Christina Agapakis
- history
- botany
- recreation
- science
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Past Scent
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