SMRTR Science & EngineeringAug 1, 2026Ars Technica

How fruit flies chase invisible ribbons of smell to get to their source

SMRTR summary

Fruit flies navigate odors using memory, not instinct—tracking and memorizing scent plume edges to return to them when the smell fades. This overturns the classic "surge and cast" reflex theory and may reshape our understanding of sensory-driven spatial navigation.

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