I haven't had a chance to comment on the news lately, but I just can't pass this up:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030203247.htm
Apparently, scientists have determined that we all smell. I don't mean that we can perform the action of detecting odors with our noses; that would be obvious and need no scientific investigation. I mean that each of us, possibly without our knowledge or consent, emits an odor that is all our own.
Seriously, could this get any better than being studied by a guy named "Kwak"? I really can't even make this stuff up.
Dr. Kwak has determined that we each have our own odor and that, apparently, other people may be able to detect it. Notably, when we sweat our odor is more obvious, and when we eat certain foods our odor can be changed. In their tests, they determined that garlic can have an impact on how you smell. In my own personal testing, I determined that pretty much anything from Taco Bueno can change your odor.
The best news in this deal is that they have been running these tests on lab mice. On the one hand, poor mice. Last week they were test subjects for a new hair dye and before that someone used to them to try out a new maze, and this week they've got to run around sniffing each other's….umm…you know. On the other hand, thank goodness no people actually had to be on the receiving end of the garlic test.
I just can't wait until they figure out a practical application for this knowledge, though. They say that it can be as unique as a fingerprint, so I'm waiting for the first odor-based conviction.
"Your honor, we found no fingerprints or semen at the scene, but there was a lingering hint of a burrito supreme and Old Spice. Poor old Bob, the rookie, passed out cold and suffered a mild concussion after he entered the premises. There's no doubt this is our man. Just take a sniff."
I really don't know how useful this is to the majority of society, but the chance to write about a "Kwak" telling us that we all stink is blogging gold.
