has excisively large rings and is uncustomarily perfumed
When you’re smelling the air while outside, you’re taking in a complicated bouquet of molecules floating through the atmosphere. But when the smell follows you inside on your clothes and hair, it’s made up largely of two compounds.
The first is ozone […] “That metallic smell that you’re smelling is actually an ozone smell” […] ozone is composed of three oxygen atoms, making it highly reactive. This makes it easy for ozone to stick into the porous surfaces of your clothes and hair.
The second scent is geosmin, a natural compound with a richer, earthy smell. If you like the smell of rain, also known as petrichor, geosmin is the main compound responsible for this smell. […] “Humans can smell geosmin better than sharks can smell blood in the water” […] Anthropologists believe humans developed this elevated perception to help our ancestors literally sniff out water, Elliott said, by identifying it underground or predicting rainfall. […]
On the molecular level, smells take the form of odor molecules detected by our noses’ olfactory sensory neurons. That means that the smell of the outdoors is genuine traces from the world around us — particles of dirt, air, plant matter and bacteria — that linger on us. Smell molecules often get tangled or attached on your skin, clothes and hair. […]
Herz suggests pregnant women, and parents in general, perceive their sense of smell to be stronger, and find many smells especially intense. This can be attributed to a general hyper vigilance. According to the NIH, smell sensitivity tests reveal a negligible difference in olfactory ability before, after or during pregnancy.
The human nose can detect at least 1 trillion odors. But being able to name them all is a notoriously difficult skill. The prestigious Givaudan Perfumery School in Paris asks students to memorize 500 fragrance components within their first year; career perfumers like Elliott might be able to possess and memorize thousands.
