Where do smells go?

Smells are stray molecules, we detect them only when they’re sufficiently concentrated in the air around us, when we don’t sense them anymore it’s just because the molecules are so few and far between that we’re unable to percieve their presence.

As far as smell eventually going away, that’s bollocks, you obviously never had to use a medieval toilet. One of those old ones which don’t flush. The only reason the smell doesn’t linger in our bathrooms is that no object in a bathroom (With a few exceptions, like towels) is porose. And only porose objects can retain smells.

Yes, this means that when yousmell shit it’s because small shit molecules are getting into your nose.

@Thammuz I have an ex who is germ phobic. I loved pointing this out to her and the following:

Smells are molecules, regardless what the smell is. If the thing producing the smell is removed, the molecules shall dissipate. This could be as they are dispersed throughout a larger volume of air, either in the room, dwelling, or through open windows. However, I am certain that some of the molecules causing scent settle on walls, floors, etc.

I could really get my germ phobic ex wrung up over THAT. I could get her paranoid about “smell” molecules settling on her skin, resulting in a frenzied shower, or send her into a cleaning frenzy.

Oprahs crotch?

@ucme I wondered what that smell was. Cheers!

love the smell of fresh cut grass in the spring! then, you know “old man winter” has gone to a new home! after this winter, cannot wait for that smell again.

Now, for where it goes, up my nose, and after that…who cares!

@ucme What did Oprah ever do to you?

@Thammuz
In addition to what you said, I suppose the stench molecules are bound to be at least a bit lighter or heavier than the rest of the air. Over time the smelly gases could either sink to the ground or float to the ceiling, and be out of nose reach either way.
If dispersion doesn’t dilute the smell first.

And now I must test whether the air at floor or ceiling level is smellier a few hours after I’ve been to the bathroom.

According to the TV, which gives me messages about this, oh, every ten minutes or so, they dive into my couch. I’m not going in there after them, either!

The bitch promised years ago that she would have a word with Spielberg on the set of The Colour Purple.I was to be her personal hygenist making sure her smell was kept under control deodorised, masked to a certain degree.She never did let me know what happened. She should remember her humble beginnings when her mother, peg on nose fed her with a catapult when she was a baby.Oh just in passing,she really doesn’t need you or anyone else defending her.She’s big enough to fight her own battles even if she gave a shit.

All those smell particles would be dissolved in air from time to time.

The answers about the molecules are accurate. But, for humans, there is another side to the coin—after being in a scent pool for a period of time, we stop noting the scent (our brains would be on overdrive if we had to take in and retain that much scent information). This is why you only smell the Glade plug-in for a few minutes and then forget about it (and why they have started making models with two scents that switch back and forth).

On the other hand, dogs will continue to discriminate scent long after we have forgotten to pay attention. This is why search dogs are so effective. They can memorize a particular scent and continue to discriminate it against the background of many other scents.

The smell particles don’t dissolve, they disperse.

up peoples noses. lol

Where do all the sounds go? both are good questions.

I think my 9th grade science teacher called it diffusion.

@ucme: And your crotch smells like a rose garden? What generates random meanness?

@gailcalled Tiger lillie’s if you must pry & I really have no idea, but i’m sure someone will feel the need to tell me.

lmao

Tiger lilies have no aroma (and no apostrophe), since we are bound to have our facts checked.

True, I also have no desire to show my crotch at weddings.An odourless crotch is the desired effect for me anyway.

@HTDC Zzzzzzzzzzzz.flame off folks!!

Just give it up @ucme. No one’s going to win any argument on here.

@john65pennington
That’s a very different issue. Sound is movement. Aroma is a physical substance.

But sound stops because friction and inertia and the like dampen the pressure waves until the air stops moving.

Airtight compartments are expensive to build. And entropy is relentless.