4 ms·

One thing that stood out to me when reading Arabian Nights is how central the smells are in every story. Makes one wonder what we’re losing with this sensory d

by lovecg 6y ago

One thing that stood out to me when reading Arabian Nights is how central the smells are in every story. Makes one wonder what we’re losing with this sensory deprivation in our overly hygienic lives.

phyzome 6y ago
I'm also interested in the quotes about some people smelling "sweet". Does that mean they don't have a scent, or that they naturally smell good? People often act as if any body odor is bad, and I disagree -- many people have a pleasant natural scent. I wonder to what extent that perception has changed over time, and to what extent people's odors have changed over time. (Skin microbiome?)
- chris1993 6y ago
  It seems to be a signal of genetic compatibility for humans, particularly for women identifying compatible men, related to immune system complementarity [0] [0] https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/articles/200801/scents-and-sensibility https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/articles/200801/scents-an...
- 082349872349872 6y ago
  The Feynman story: https://books.google.ch/books?id=_gA_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT109&lpg=PT109&dq=feynman+smelling&source=bl&ots=HCD0k_-MNI&sig=ACfU3U3HqHI1-lMqIplZcUa5wGdL2blPzw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjkwOu6hczqAhWOw6YKHf1OD0IQ6AEwAHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=feynman%20smelling&f=false https://books.google.ch/books?id=_gA_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT109&lpg=P... As for the daily shower, these days I guess a class distinction is between whether one showers before or after work. (idem for hand washing and urinals?)
  - phyzome 6y ago
    Google Books is telling me I've reached my page limit, despite not having used the site in a month. Is this the story about him honing his sense of smell?
    - 082349872349872 6y ago
      yes. "People’s hands smell very different—that’s why dogs can identify people; you have to try it! All hands have a sort of moist smell, and a person who smokes has a very different smell on his hands from a person who doesn’t; ladies often have different kinds of perfumes, and so on. If somebody happened to have some coins in his pocket and happened to be handling them, you can smell that."

by lovecg 6y ago

phyzome 6y ago

I'm also interested in the quotes about some people smelling "sweet". Does that mean they don't have a scent, or that they naturally smell good? People often act as if any body odor is bad, and I disagree -- many people have a pleasant natural scent. I wonder to what extent that perception has changed over time, and to what extent people's odors have changed over time. (Skin microbiome?)

chris1993 6y ago
It seems to be a signal of genetic compatibility for humans, particularly for women identifying compatible men, related to immune system complementarity [0] [0] https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/articles/200801/scents-and-sensibility https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/articles/200801/scents-an...
082349872349872 6y ago
The Feynman story: https://books.google.ch/books?id=_gA_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT109&lpg=PT109&dq=feynman+smelling&source=bl&ots=HCD0k_-MNI&sig=ACfU3U3HqHI1-lMqIplZcUa5wGdL2blPzw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjkwOu6hczqAhWOw6YKHf1OD0IQ6AEwAHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=feynman%20smelling&f=false https://books.google.ch/books?id=_gA_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT109&lpg=P... As for the daily shower, these days I guess a class distinction is between whether one showers before or after work. (idem for hand washing and urinals?)
- phyzome 6y ago
  Google Books is telling me I've reached my page limit, despite not having used the site in a month. Is this the story about him honing his sense of smell?
  - 082349872349872 6y ago
    yes. "People’s hands smell very different—that’s why dogs can identify people; you have to try it! All hands have a sort of moist smell, and a person who smokes has a very different smell on his hands from a person who doesn’t; ladies often have different kinds of perfumes, and so on. If somebody happened to have some coins in his pocket and happened to be handling them, you can smell that."