Why do armpits smell? - CrowdScience podcast, BBC World Service

Video Description

While there is a myriad of deodorants, shower gels and perfumes helping us stay fresh and fragrant today, that hasn’t always been the case. How did humans stay clean in the past, or did they not care so much? And is there an evolutionary reason for human body odour in the first place? Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM These are questions that CrowdScience listener Sarah has pondered on trips in her camper van, when she wants to keep clean, but washing isn’t always convenient. In search of answers, presenter Anand Jagatia delves into the sweaty details: Where body odour comes from, why some people's armpits don't smell, and whether this heady stink serves any purpose. Could our natural odour really help to attract a partner, or is it just a smelly bacterial by-product? Anand explores the intriguing mystery of human pheromones, and hears how for hundreds of years, Europeans were terrified of washing. 00:00 Question from a camper 02:48 Where does body odour come from? 04:18 One third of people do not have body odour 06:50 How did our early ancestors keep clean? 09:44 How attitudes towards cleanliness have changed 14:28 Pheromones Watch more episodes of CrowdScience here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4cT4qluPKNtMmBAPPrpoxvT ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #bodyodour