Freshly ground coffee, popcorn, biowaste or smoke – in the course of life, we get to know different scents and thanks to our nose, we distinguish and identify them even without seeing their source. Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now developed a sensor that can be taught different scents. The “electronic nose” is to be suited for everyday use and to smell potential hazards, such as smoldering cables or spoilt food, earlier than a human being.