The other day it occurred to me that this time right now must be different for dogs (and other creatures with good noses), what with everything and everyone reeking of sanitizer and disinfectant.
3 Likes
I have a cunning plan…
1 Like
The only science fiction story I’ve ever read where the sense of smell plays an integral part of the plot, was Spider Robinson’s Telempath. I’m hoping at the very least, the findings of this research will inspire more such literature.
2 Likes
I mean, €3M would pay for a lot of Glastonbury tickets, which would get you most of the way there.
Shit, mostly human but some cow, mixed with wood smoke, incense, and, depending on the weather, BO or damp.
There was probably less cannabis smoke back in the day, but otherwise I suspect it’s quite close.
(I remember looking down over the festival site one evening at all the campfires scattered across the valley, with the smoke hanging just above, and it felt deeply familiar on an instinctive level.)
1 Like
Scent is one of the most persistent memories, and one we recognize from a very early age. There is some evidence that part of people’s feelings of isolation and social disconnection are because nobody smells like people anymore-they smell like flowers, or spices or other animals or “naval diplomacy”. Infants recognize their parents by smell. We have been trained to find most natural scents unpleasant, including ourselves. A frequent theme in romance literature is how enjoyable the personal odor of each partner is to the other. There are restaurants that deliberately incorporate smells into their presentations, using vapor trapped in a container, leaves set alight as the plate leaves the kitchen, steams and so on.
4 Likes
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
