1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff from the Science Lab from how stuff 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: works dot com. So, Robert, yeah, what is an astronomical unit. 3 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: I don't know what astronomical unit. It's one hell of 4 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: a big apartment. Oh, welcome to the podcast guys. This 5 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: is Alice and the science editor at how storks dot com. 6 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: And this is Robert Lamb, of science writer at how 7 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. And that comes to you from 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: Bruno in Switzerland. We've been putting the call out for 9 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: jokes lately on faceboo. Nice cheesy science related jokes. There's 10 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: no reason that scientists can't be humorous, and there's no 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: reason that scientists can't smell fabulous, right, right, right, So 12 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: today we're talking about the science of perfume, and I 13 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: wanted to talk a little bit about the worst smell 14 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: that you like, you know, sort of the smell you're 15 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: not supposed to like, but you do. Um. For me, 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of weird cont that, but go on, well, 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: you know, you know it smells bad for you're not 18 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: supposed to be sniffing it. You know, I'm not talking 19 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: about you know, sniffing something to get you know, an effect, 20 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: but just you kind of like the smell of it, 21 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: like gasoline is mine. Okay, It's like I'm not talking 22 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: about huffing, but gasoline smells fabulous. But I do like 23 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: it also on that vein rubber cement. Okay, okay, but 24 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: that's perfect sense. Wait what's yours? Um Well, I mean 25 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: I'm one of these people I tend not to think 26 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: of like smells. I like is being like horrible. Um well, 27 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: like one example, okay, during fruit kind of gets a 28 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 1: bad rap for being a dozen indeed, have you ever 29 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: eaten one? But yeah, that's the thing. It's like I 30 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: finally got to try it when my wife and I 31 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: went to Thailand and and Grant, we were outdoors in 32 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: a we're well ventilated area and okay, everybody's just like 33 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: our daurian fruit. The smells horrible, blah blah blah. I 34 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: mean not the people have sold it to us, obviously, 35 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: but but you know, you hear that especially here in 36 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: the States, and um and I really wanted to try 37 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: it and give it a fair shape because I'm kind 38 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: of thinking like this kind of like Western you know, chauvitism. 39 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, saying I don't want this fruit. 40 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: You're an equal opportunity for you. So I gave it 41 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: a shot and it was it was really good. I mean, 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: it's I think the thing with the Durian fruit is 43 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: that you kind of have to go into it expecting 44 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: more of a cheese like it's some sort of a 45 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: cheese fruit kind of a thing. But really, yeah, but 46 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: in terms of things that, like, I guess I do 47 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: have to admit that I now remember that like sometimes 48 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: like when I'm painting, like painting, like house painting and 49 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: stuff like, there is something kind of nice about that smell, 50 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: like it almost kind of smells chocolate somehow to me, 51 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: like I should eat it. Yeah. Well, I think it 52 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: also has to do with a texture of the paint 53 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: a little bit. You know, it has that like thickness 54 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: when it's going on. And and I guess we do 55 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: tend to paint like the painting jobs I've been on, 56 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: it tends to be kind of like a brownish or 57 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: a tannish you know, or like even like a white 58 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: chocolate kind of color. Stuff. Okay, Well, technically that could 59 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: be a perfume, because perfume is a pretty I mean, 60 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: you can define pretty much anything as a perfume. It's 61 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: a pretty loose definition. It's basically something that you wear 62 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: and something that smells. I mean, I'm sure the professional 63 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: perfumers out there I have a more rigorous definition. But 64 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: for our purposes, like you don't count like Irish spring 65 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: is a perfume, but it doesn't necessarily have to smell 66 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: good or good to everyone. Right, Definitely baste on some 67 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: of the perfumes I've smelt on public transportation, Yeah, no doubt. 68 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: So for our purposes, let's talk about liquid perfume. You know, 69 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: the stuff you're gonna find in a bottle um, you know, 70 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: a sprayer spitzer um, and that's just going to be 71 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: a combo of alcohol, water and whatever key ingredients that 72 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: evaporated room temperature that you you know, want to throw 73 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: in to make your signature fragrance. And when you're smelling perfume, 74 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: you're really just sniffering a bunch of evaporating molecules. Right. 75 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: Your nose detects perfume and it sends a message. Shear 76 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: brain creating this perception good, bad, and different, whatever it 77 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: may be. And you know that's what's going on in 78 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: the elevator. Have you ever had this experience, I know 79 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: all of you listeners. Definitely. Have you walk into the elevator, 80 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: you know, somebody gets on at the next floor. They 81 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: walk in in with them trills this just ragrant cloud 82 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: of cologne or perfume. And I won't say it's women 83 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: or ladies or men, because you know, I think both 84 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: definitely do this. Like there was this one dude that 85 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: I used to work with him in a before it 86 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: came to hou stuff works, and it's like I remember 87 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: the day he came in to apply for his job. 88 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: It was like, you know that comes in through the door. 89 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: It's just this stream of just just really strong like 90 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: cologne was just hanging off of him. And then he 91 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: left and like the cologne stayed. I think that's when 92 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: he gave him the job. It's like it's gonna smell impression. 93 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: Yeah he did that man made an impression. Yeah. When 94 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: I was in college, is reminded me a lot of 95 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: Thursday nights. To me, you'd be going out and you 96 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: get in a you get an elevator with a with 97 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: a boy and he would just you know, the whole 98 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: elevator would smell like dre card noir. Do you remember 99 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: that cologne? I think I remember. I think maybe my 100 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: dad had an old bottle of it, and I like 101 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: found it somewhere and it's like dark looking, right, it's 102 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: like dark manly looking cologne, I think. So, like, the 103 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: more it looks like whiskey, the more it's okay for 104 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: guys to wear it. Yeah, if I sniffed it now 105 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: would totally take me back. So what's going on with 106 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: the individual ingredients in those perfumes, like what's making the 107 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: car or linger so long? Well, my understanding is that 108 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: the alcohol works to spread out the different smells, right, 109 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: allowing you to to to pick up the different hints 110 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: and the complexities of the perfume. Otherwise you'd be small 111 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: on them all at once, right, right. So, writer Susan Nasa, 112 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: who wrote the article on our site about how how 113 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: perfume works, was talking about in the in the case 114 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: of a perfume oil, Um, if you were just to 115 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: smell that perfume oil, which is a really concentrated essence 116 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: of the smell, it would kind of be like hearing 117 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: all the members of an orchestra all play at the 118 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: same time. Yeah, you're not going to hear the you know, 119 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: the tuba kind of rumbling. Um. So that that's that's 120 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: a perfemale. But the alcohol, right, it allows you to 121 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: hear or smell, as the case maybe with perfume, all 122 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: these notes um not at once. It spreads them out 123 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: like you said, Okay, It's kind of like if you 124 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: go to Tapas restaurant and like they bring out you know, 125 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 1: topless restaurant where it and it's, uh, you don't want 126 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: all the top as at once in gobl them down 127 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: in or you want to be there for like a 128 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: lengthy period of time getting the one by one definitely, definitely. 129 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: So in that same vein, it makes sense that a 130 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: lot of perfumes and when we're talking about perfumes again, 131 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: perfume does not applied to women or men. It's just 132 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: it's like we said, a smell um so they have 133 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: a three part smell and each smell is called a 134 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: note in the perfume industry, and that's what they like 135 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:26,720 Speaker 1: to come. But it's just jargon, and I was not 136 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: familiar with this at all before we research this. It's 137 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: pretty cool, and the smells have different rates of evaporation, 138 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: so on the top you're gonna have your top note, right, 139 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: and uh, you're gonna smell these within fifteen minutes of apply. 140 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: This is where you're gonna find kind of the racy, unpleasant, spicy, 141 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: weird smell, you know, something that the designer threw into 142 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: just kind of you know, be crazy. This is the 143 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: don't apply your perfume on on the train smell, right 144 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: when the person next you decides to put it on 145 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: and you're like cheese and that that's this. This is 146 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: the top These are the top notes in action, right yeah. Yeah, 147 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: And and and these are the ones, luckily, that evaporate first. 148 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: So take us to the take us through the heart notes. 149 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: All right, Well, this apparently starts showing up after three 150 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: to four hours after you've gotten off the train, ideally 151 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: hanging out at work, and these evaporate more slowly from 152 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: the skin. The phase of the perfume's life tends to 153 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: be what this is the This is the phase that 154 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: makes the most impact. This is what you remember. This 155 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: is the prime perfume life stage, right, Robert, if you 156 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: were wearing a floral perfume, do you wear a floral perfume? Okay, 157 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: So this is where you find your floral notes, okay, okay, 158 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: and then you get your base notes, right, and so 159 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: these form obviously the foundation of the perfume, the base 160 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: of the perfume, and they linger the longest after you 161 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: douse yourself in the morning, the five to eight hours 162 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: long in a fact. And it's not just the chemistry 163 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: of the perfume and you know the rate of the 164 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: molecules evaporating, it's you're a factor to right, So the 165 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: top notes of the perfume are going to disappear faster 166 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: if your skin is nice and dry and warm, um, 167 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: rather than if you're kind of cool and oily. So 168 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: you're gonna so when you go shopping for a perfume, 169 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: you need to sort of carry some of the information 170 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: with you, like, no, am, I you know, but how 171 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: my skin is going to behave with it? Sure? I mean, 172 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: I guess I wouldn't hurt to keep that in mind. 173 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: And then how you store the perfume is going to 174 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: affect the chemistry as well. If you store it in 175 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: bright light, that can impact the bonds and the freegrance 176 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: molecules and break them um, and then you're you can 177 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: have bright sun that canna damaged perfume within a week's time. 178 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: And that was according to a Luca Turan Antonia Sanchez, 179 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: authors of the two thousand and eight book Perfume A Guide. Uh, 180 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: that's the one for the dude Kills All the Ladies, right, No, 181 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: that's fiction by Patrick Suskin. Yeah. Yeah, the protagonist of that. 182 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: What is he he's trying to he's trying to. I've 183 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 1: seen the movie, I've not read the book. Read Okay, 184 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: well we complete each other and that then like, um, 185 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: he I remember correctly, he wants to, like he like 186 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: falls for these different ladies and like he finds them 187 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: into a into perfume. Right, he wants to According to Amazon, 188 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,439 Speaker 1: I believe captured the scent of a beautiful young version. 189 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: That's it. That's what he's trying to do. And by 190 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: version I meant virgin. Yeah. Um, but if it's sort 191 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: of like Silence of the Lambs but with perfume, what 192 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: do you think about that? Yeah? Pretty pretty good. The 193 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: movie was pretty fabulous, pretty really Yeah, it had Dustin 194 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: Hoffman and it's a perfumest in it. But but back 195 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: to the storage. Think, what's weird to me about the 196 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: whole visible light breaking it down? It's like most perfumes 197 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: come in like a little glass vials, right, I mean 198 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: it's true, it's just begging to be broken down by 199 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: the sun, and they're begging to be displayed, right, I 200 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: mean because packaging, of course is such a big part 201 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: of perfume as well. Well, that goes into another podcast 202 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: that we did on the Smell and Science. Yeah, we've 203 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: been on a smelly bender this week. Well, there's a 204 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: whole deal about how, like how you know, the information 205 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: from our other senses also affect how we perceive a smell. 206 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: If you tell me that a cheese is cheese, then 207 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna respond better than if you tell me a 208 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: cheese is body odor and and likewise in general, that's it. 209 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: That's a good assumption. Yeah, But the thing is, it's 210 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: like they say that it also ends up applying to 211 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: like the shape of our perfume container or the like 212 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: the different the name or you know what are all 213 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: these different factors that they're using to sell it to you. 214 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: It's like that you shape it like an apple, even 215 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: if it doesn't quite smell like an apple. It's like 216 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: you're gonna be more inclined to think apple when you 217 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: when you sniff it. Right, So smell being much more 218 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: than just the physical act of sniffing. Yeah, So before 219 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: we move on. I just wanted to touch on. There's 220 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: one other process that can can harm your perfume, and 221 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: you guys know this is oxidation. So this is what's 222 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: going to turn your uncorked wine into vinegar. And it 223 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: can do a number on your bottle of Chanel number 224 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: five as well. Okay, So don't keep your perfume out 225 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: in a like trough on your on your desk. Yeah, 226 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: and storing your perfume at room temperature in the dark 227 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: and in a spray bottle preserves it well, maybe a 228 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: shelf life of two years, which is interesting because I 229 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: think I tend to keep my sons much longer than 230 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: two years. To self, Okay, I gotta go home and 231 00:10:56,360 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: clear out the perfumes pomode on the sink. No, I 232 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 1: will not do that. So why do we wear perfume? 233 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: I found this pretty interesting? Um So, the writer Susan 234 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: Nasser interviewed this psychologist, Rachel Hurts Uh and she's a 235 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 1: she's a Brown University and she's researched smell pretty extensively. 236 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: It Hurts had a couple of ideas about why people 237 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,080 Speaker 1: wear these scents. You want to take the men ones? Yeah, 238 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: and this this makes a you know a lot of sense, 239 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:28,959 Speaker 1: like young men wear fragrance to attract women or four men. Um, 240 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: you know what a preference and uh, of course that 241 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 1: makes perfect sense. And that's like the stereotype too. You know. 242 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 1: It's like guys putting on some sort of funky scent 243 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: generally and on oftentimes maybe not generally, but often not 244 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: knowing quite what they're doing when when they're picking one out. Um. 245 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:45,719 Speaker 1: So that's the young guys and then the older men. 246 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: According uh, according to Nasser, older men wear it as 247 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: a nod to the person who gave them the perfume. 248 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: In other words, I'm wearing this perfume because i got 249 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: it as a gift and I've got to use the 250 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: whole bottle where I'm never going to hear the end 251 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: of it. And I think you and I think you 252 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,679 Speaker 1: think it smells nice. So yeah, so I guess as 253 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: well as nice, I'll wear it. If she likes it, well, 254 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:06,559 Speaker 1: we're going out to dinner, might as well. That was 255 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: myself a little bit. Yeah, generally I don't receive perfumes 256 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: except from um. Bonnie's grandmother gave me perfume one year. Yeah, 257 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: I think we quietly destroyed it. I hope she's not listening. 258 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,079 Speaker 1: Um So, young women may wear it because of friends, 259 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: uh and and media influence. This one actually rang true 260 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: for me. I remember at a certain point in my 261 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: life in middle school, I think I did start to 262 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: wear fragrance. And it wasn't because I you know, wait, 263 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:39,599 Speaker 1: you probably were, didn't you like wear it earlier? Like 264 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: you went and like trying on all your mom's perfume 265 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: at once? Yeah, that's probably true. I probably did. But 266 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: you know, I actually bought a bottle from my local 267 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: drug store or something like baby Softer, I don't even know, 268 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,199 Speaker 1: some terrible perfume. Not that it's terrible, but I just 269 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 1: probably wouldn't buy it now. But it was very much 270 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: something that all my friends were doing, so it was 271 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: more like in you know, a reflection of growing up 272 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: or something to that effect. Um So, her is the 273 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: psychologists that that a writer interviewed says that women in 274 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: thirties do it just because you know, they want to. Uh, 275 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: once you get into your forties, they're wearing it because 276 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: they like it. This sounds random to me, though, I mean, 277 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 1: you don't like it before and then well, I mean 278 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,679 Speaker 1: maybe it's kind of like with you know, some people 279 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: steal with like say beer, you kind of like, you 280 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: drink beer tastes horrible at first, and then supposedly if 281 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: you drink enough of it, you start to love it 282 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: and then you like it takes a while to like 283 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: build up in appreciation for it. So maybe it's like 284 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: you spend your thirties, you know, using these perfumes, but 285 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: you don't really necessarily like it, but you know, after 286 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: a while, then you develop this real appreciation for it 287 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: and then you're, you know, totally into it. That being 288 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 1: the case. By sixty again, the women are just wearing 289 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: it to please others. Well maybe they're just they're just 290 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: nice old ladies and they're like, I'm just gonna gonna 291 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: wear this because my son credit for me and they'll 292 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: make them happy. Kind of a deal, you know, right, 293 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: righties are just nice, That's what saying. So sense can 294 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 1: affect our moods and our behavior, right, we know this. 295 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: I mean, it can pull up some sort of treasured 296 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: memory and it can influence our actions. And there have 297 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 1: been a couple of interesting studies in this vein um. 298 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 1: I think that you guys have probably heard of the 299 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: one about the cinnabon. Have you heard about that. We 300 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: were talking about this a little bit before the podcast. Yeah, 301 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: what was to do with this again? It's just the 302 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: scent of cinamon, right, So put the put the scent 303 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: of cinnabon in the air, do it, you know, in 304 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: a mall. Okay, And what you're gonna want to do 305 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: is you're gonna get some people involved. You're gonna get 306 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: your participants, and you get one person to drop something 307 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: and then, um, see if a stranger picks up that pencil, 308 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: say that you dropped. Well, it turns out if you 309 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: have the smell of cinnamon in the air, um, people 310 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: are more likely to pick up that pencil. The stranger 311 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: is more likely to pick up that pencil. Good smells 312 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: as a correlation with you know, good behavior. You know 313 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: you're going to pick up a pencil, maybe you'll give directions, 314 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: maybe you're just going to be an all around nice 315 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: person as long as you're within cinnabons. Wow, it's kind 316 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: of interesting, it can. It makes me think of like 317 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: a futuristic society, you know, where everybody is like a 318 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: perfect citizen and they're doing it because they're just constantly 319 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: pumping out the odor of cinnamon. You know what this 320 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: really made me wonder, and I didn't have time enough 321 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: to get into it before the podcast, was what do 322 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 1: casinos smell like? I'm not a hardcore gambler, but I 323 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: had to wonder how this sadness, stale cigarettes, sadness and 324 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: cinnabone old ladies playing the slats. I don't know, that's 325 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: really I'm gonna I'm very curious. Now. So there's a 326 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: study in France that followed a sort of similar cinnamon protocol, 327 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: only they check to see whether a woman who was 328 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: wearing perfume would um influenced this sort of similar behavior 329 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: and strangers so um, you know, she would drop something 330 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: from her person, she would. They would see if strangers 331 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: would help her pick up the object, and in fact 332 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: they did. You know, the woman wearing the perfume brought 333 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: out that behavior again she's smelt like cinnamon. No, she 334 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: smelt like a different perfume. No they did not. Well, 335 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: see they should combine these two studies, right, maybe they 336 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: have them. It has the best I act if it's 337 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: a cinnamon for fume. And then there's just one final 338 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: study that I'll get you here. There's a study published 339 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: in the Journal of Psychological Science, and that found that 340 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: a citrus scented cleanser was associated with people behaving more 341 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: fairly when they played a game, a classic trust game. 342 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: According to this article on the Boston Globe, like apples 343 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: to app sir, what I don't know, I don't know 344 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: what the game was. Yeah, so fair behavior, people picking 345 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: up pencils for you. I mean, it does seem like 346 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: scent can influence action. And and that's just you know, 347 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: a smattering of studies that have been done there. There 348 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: are many more to explore. But let's let's take a 349 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: break from that and look at the genetic side. So 350 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: each of us has a genetically determined number of odor 351 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: receptors or cells in our nose that grab fragrant molecules 352 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: out of the air around us. So, with more receptors 353 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: for a classic compounds like say lily smells, you're gonna 354 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: smell lily at a lower concentration, but at normal amounts 355 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: the smell could be intense and overwhelming. Alright, But too 356 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: few receptors can be a problem. Why is that? Well, 357 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: for example, cilantros fragrance consists of many odors. If your 358 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: genetic code spells out of variation that reduces your number 359 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 1: of receptors for an odor. You may miss one of 360 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: Cilantro's many odors and it may smell soapy to you. 361 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: We've got touched on this before, Yeah, we did on 362 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: the genetic stuff. They're talking about it tasting soapy and 363 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: of course sent and taste or blood brothers. Indeed, So 364 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: let's get to the evolution side. And one question that 365 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: people have thrown out a lot are you know, are 366 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: our old factory likes and dislikes programmed? And there's pretty 367 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: healthy argument on this area. So on the pro side, 368 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: some people are going to argue that the answer as 369 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:42,160 Speaker 1: to whether we like certain smells isn't really genes but history, right, um, 370 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: and you know, way way way back history like Grays, 371 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: like just foraging for food kind of things like like 372 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: I smell fruit, I eat fruit, fruits great. I wish 373 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: everything smells like fruit. Is the center bund thing again? 374 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: Yeah totally um, yeah, right, so that kind of harkens 375 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: back to our foraging days are hunting and gathering days. 376 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: And then you know, on the other hand, we're not 377 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: gonna like the smell of you know, urine feces or 378 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,399 Speaker 1: you know, maybe rotten or fishy smells, because like urine 379 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 1: could like it could be telling me that somebody else's territory, um, 380 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 1: you know, fecal all that's gonna potentially parasites and pathogens 381 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: two sees infectious agents, right, So there could there be 382 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: an evolutionary mechanism at work there. That's that's one thought 383 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: school of thought on this. I'm I'm game to believe that. 384 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: What about the other side of the argument, Well, yeah, 385 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: there's the other side of the argument says it smells 386 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 1: are an evolutionary programmed and this is this is kind 387 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: of like the sort of short, short and dirty version 388 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: of this is like people can get used to anything, right, 389 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: Your culture preference, your personal experience can override any smell. 390 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: I mean, if you grow up with the latter and smell, 391 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: maybe it's not going to bother you. Yeah, you grow up, 392 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: you know, gutting fish, then the fish smell is not 393 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: going to bother you. Back before the days of refrigeration, 394 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 1: um now, Sir writes in her article, the smell of 395 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: rotten meat was tolerated and even liked in Europe. Huh yeah, 396 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 1: I guess I just don't really have a perception of 397 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 1: rotten hamburger meat per se, just because the refrigerator does 398 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,360 Speaker 1: play such an important role. Well, one example that comes 399 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: to mind, it's like I don't know if you know here, 400 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: go to like like sort of foreign or not even foreign, 401 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: but just kind of like I guess, like sort of 402 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: Asian like kind of like fish markets and stuff, or 403 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 1: I guess just any fish market. It's like, I'm not 404 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: around them, so when I go to them, it's it's 405 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 1: a bit overpowering. But I'm thinking, like people a people 406 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: were around it a lot are going to be more 407 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: less inclined to think it's stinky. And also if it's 408 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: like more like a cultural thing, you're going to tolerate 409 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 1: it more. Yeah, or maybe even you know, say you're 410 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 1: a smoker, right, you know how smokers can smell themselves, 411 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: but if you walk into an elevator with a smoker, 412 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: you can instantly smell it. Or if you're riding the 413 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: train with somebody who you know, hit happy hour, maybe 414 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:45,239 Speaker 1: they can't smell the alcohol on them, but I mean 415 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: it just waffs over to you on a giant cloud 416 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: of dirty martini. Yeah. Yeah, So anyway, So so that's 417 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: really the other side of the argument is that, Yeah, 418 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: like you were saying, we can override any of these preferences, 419 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: and evolution really doesn't have a whole lot to do 420 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 1: with smell. So I think we gave you guys a 421 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: lot of odor for thought. Yeah, I mean, I'm I 422 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: think it's. Yeah, next time you're throwing a little perfume, 423 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: you might think about it a little differently you and 424 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: also like maybe even like go ahead and mark down 425 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: on your schedule, like which phase of the perfume is 426 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: gonna is gonna line up with what part of your day. 427 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: It's like, oh, crap, I got a three o'clock um, 428 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: you know, interview, and that's after phase two ends. What 429 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: am I gonna do about my floral notes being gone? Yeah? 430 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: So we love to hear from you guys, smelly thoughts 431 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: or otherwise. So send us an email at science Stuff 432 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: at how stuff woraks dot com, or connect with us 433 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: on Facebook. Yeah, we're on there as stuff in the 434 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: Science Lab. Also find us on Twitter as lab stuff 435 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: and y hey, and shoot us some jokes, you know, 436 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: give us some sort of nice cheesy science joke, include 437 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,199 Speaker 1: your you know your name and where you're from, and 438 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: we will try and throw it up there at the 439 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 1: start of the podcast. It's good, all right, that's all 440 00:20:54,200 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: we got. Thanks for listening to guys. For more on 441 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,160 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, is it how stuff 442 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,719 Speaker 1: works dot com. Want more how stuff works, check out 443 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: our blogs on the house stuff works dot com home page.