Diane Ackerman’s unique synthesis of scientific inquiry and lyrical prose in A Natural History of the Senses is rooted in her academic training at Cornell University, where her doctoral committee included the influential astronomer Carl Sagan. While officially pursuing a PhD in English, Ackerman intentionally sought Sagan’s mentorship, creating an interdisciplinary foundation for the dissertation that led to her acclaimed debut poetry collection, The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral. As a professor and writer, Sagan championed the idea of making complex scientific concepts accessible and compelling to a general audience. He put this commitment into practice as the co-creator and presenter of the popular PBS television series and companion book Cosmos (1980), which introduced millions of people to the wonders of space. According to The Writer magazine, he actively supported Ackerman’s intellectual curiosity, enabling her “poaching in the sciences” while she was formally studying literature (Kaplon, Megan. “Diane Ackerman: Natural Talent.” The Writer, originally published 20 Apr. 2015, updated 9 May 2024). Sagan’s validation encouraged her to treat biology, chemistry, and physics not as distant, separate disciplines but as rich sources for literary exploration.

This approach defines the book’s style, in which scientific explanations are rendered with poetic verve. For instance, when discussing the olfactory system, Ackerman writes that unlike other senses, “smell needs no interpreter. The effect is immediate and undiluted by language, thought, or translation” (11). Here, she translates a neurological fact—the direct pathway from the olfactory bulb to the brain’s emotional limbic system—into an evocative statement about sensory experience. This ability to merge objective fact with subjective wonder, a method honed under Sagan’s influence, allows Ackerman to craft a “natural history” that is both intellectually rigorous and deeply personal.