Greetings once again fellow bloggers.
For those of you who hasnt find out, I now host my blog at mohammadariawan.info. However the original idea of that blog is that it will contain more serious stuff compared to this one. (although none currently present at the moment) Anyway lets get started.
Olfactics or Olfactory refers to the sense of smelling. Scientists are still figuring out how these sensations are produced in the brain and there are still a number of competing theories. All I can say is that they'll work it out one day. However this blog post isn't about something boring like that, It is about my top 3 favourite smells.
3. Melbourne Summer Night.
- Melbourne Sun
There is something in the air during Melbourne summer. Especially when the day was really hot. I have an opinion as to the cause of this smell, and it goes like this:
- Melbourne's extremely high temperature is causing all the pavements and all building bricks to get really hot.
- This also cause people who are walking outside in the heat of the sun to sweat.
- Some of these sweat drips to the roads/pavements.
- Melbourne temperature is very high and dry, thus this will immediately evaporate
- At night the sudden change of temperature makes these gas condense and we can then smell it.
My conclusion from these overly simplistic and without scientific reasoning is that the smell occurs from sweat artifact condensation. :)
As gross as it might sound ( For those of you who hasnt realised the above explanation was made up on the spot). It does actually smell nice. Amazingly you can only get this smell during summer time in Melbourne. Jakarta has a hot temperature as well, but for some reason I never get the smell.
2. Rain Falling on road
- Rain Falling on Road
I think many of you will agree with me on this one. It is really nice. There is, however, some of you who thinks that rain falling on soil is a better smell. I personally think that the difference is so subtle that it is not worth putting on a separate heading.
A similar smell under a similar condition can also be found in Jakarta. I think the smell is more apparent in Jakarta I don't know why. as for the pseudo-science explanation as to why it happens.
- Car and other vehicles creates CO2 in the air while operating. Thus carbon is everywhere in the air.
- Rain comes and washed down all the carbon down to the road.
- The smell is actually carbon and water mixed together
- Correct Me If Im wrong isnt it HCO3 and O3 is ozone? Could be ozone as well then.
Now in order to test this... Shouldnt I get the same kind of smell if I put water on charcoal? Please do try and let me know
1. Freshly Mowed lawn
- Freshly Mowed Lawn
Isn't this simply the best smell. Its amazing how car perfume or home perfume companies havent tried to recreate this smell. Out of 3 people I asked all 3 of them agrees with me.
Disclaimer: My knowledge in chemistry is very limited. so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Thats what the comment button down below is for :)
As this is the best. I'll get a bit scientific on the cause of this smell. (not the pseudo-science above) Amazingly these smells have been researched by a number of people. in 1993 Hatanaka in the paper "The biogeneration of green odour by green leaves and its physiological function" The smell is caused by C6 Aldehydes and C6 alcohols.
Amazingly grasses whether its cut or not constitute a great deal of source of volatile organic compound (VOC)
For more information on the science of this smell please consult this paper a neat discussion and conclusion of the whole thing
Until next time... ciao
