Sensational

Why do women have a better sense of smell than men? Has the iPhone changed how we touch? Does the Danube really look blue when you’re in love?

Our senses are at the heart of how we navigate the world. They help us recognise the expressions on a loved one’s face, know whether fruit is ripe by its smell, or even sense a storm approaching through a sudden drop in air pressure. It’s now believed that we may have as many as fifty-three senses – and we’re just beginning to expand our knowledge of this incredibly extensive palette.

In Sensational, Ashley Ward embarks on an expedition through the ways we experience the world, marshalling the latest advancements in science to explore the dazzling eyesight of the mantis shrimp, the rich inner lives of krill and the baffling link between canine bowel movements and geomagnetic fields. Unlocking the incredible power of our senses may hold the key to mysteries like why we kiss, how our brain dictates our taste in music and how a dairy-rich diet strained Euro-Japanese relations.

Blending biology and cutting-edge neuroscience, Sensational is a mind-bending look at how our brains shape the way we interpret the world.