The OVR Technology Blog
We spend more than 11 hours watching television, listening to the radio, and consuming other digital platforms, according to a 2018 Nielsen report. We know that time we spend in the virtual world influences our time in the real world. So, to amplify the positive impact of virtual reality (VR), we...
In modern life, we may regard pleasant smells—like fresh baked cookies or blossoming flowers—as lovely but superfluous. It is a luxury completely separate from the important work of seeing, hearing, and touching. But what's really going on when we inhale deeply and it brings a smile to your face?...
Experiences make us happier, according to research—and more so than acquiring material objects. There are two reasons for this: one, the excitement of the anticipation of the event, and second, experiences feel more engaging because they tap into our senses in compelling ways. For example, you hear...
Raise a flower to your nose and inhale deeply. What happens so that you can identify which type of flower it is based on its scent? Scent molecules are traveling up from the olfactory receptors in your nose to your brain, and more specifically to the hippocampus and limbic system. Remember, those...
What Is A Smell? When you’re a company that makes smells, what exactly is a smell? Does it differ from a fragrance or an odor? Here, we explain what a smell actually is, how it's connected to more than just your nose, and how we re-create scents for VR technology.
Most people have the same favorite scents, says new research published in Current Biology. They also usually have the same least favorite scents—regardless of where they’re from. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Oxford in England discovered that the same...
The limbic system is a group of brain structures that work together to facilitate behavioral, emotional, and survival responses. The limbic system essentially acts as a control center to bridge the gap between our psychological and physiological experiences.
And Why It’s Still OK To Be Friends With Them. (It’s Not Their Fault.) Cilantro adds fresh, slightly citrusy, herbaceous flavor to dishes such as heady curries and soups, salsas, and some stir-fries. Despite its varied potential in dishes, cilantro is also quite a divisive food. That’s because, for...
After Facebook changed its name to Meta last year, “metaverse” has become a hot new buzzword on everyone’s lips. But if you aren’t actually sure what people are referring to, you’re not alone. The concept seems incredibly futuristic and can be a little hard to grasp. Turns out, an online world...
Our mind wanders nearly half of the time we’re awake, according to one study. And since that study was published, it feels as if we’ve become even more distracted. But also, our mind wandering (the research term is “stimulus-independent thought” pattern) is so natural to us that most of us don’t...