Another Random Philosophical Problem: Smell

[BurtWorm]

What exactly is it? I know that certain arrangements of molecules have different "smells" from others, but is there something emitted from the molecule, something "absolute" that "smells" the "same" to every olfactory system that senses it? Or does every distinct olfactory system smell it differently? That is, when I say something smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, is the smell that I think is rotten eggs identical to the smell you think is rotten eggs or is my rotten egg smell different from your rotten egg smell? And if it's the same, how is that my genes and your genes have been able to reconstruct olfactories able to correctly identify the same smell?

:crazy:

[SheepyMcSheepster]

1. check it out

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question139.htm

[BurtWorm]

5. Excellent, McSheepster!

:toast:

[shaolinmonkey]

2. Your question seems more biological/chemical than philosophical

but I think that "smells" are technically trace chemicals in the air. They interface with receptors in your olfactory system and have predictable reactions which create predictable chemical compounds that send consistent signals to your brain.

That is, of course, if you accept that reality is more than a collection of perceptions reflected on your mind.

"To bend the spoon, you must first realize the truth: there is no spoon."

[FarmerOak]

3. Everything is relative...

... in it's own smell.

All senses are, by definiton, subjective. While sulfur probably smells the same to both of us, we can't know that for sure, and we can only commonly refer to a given smell as "sulfurous" because of a common language.

[smiley_glad_hands]

4. Smell is a perception.

Everyone could very well smell things differently. It is our actions and reactions to smells we encounter in the world that we can only truly understand.

[woofless]

6. Just remember, ALL smells are particulate.

If you can smell it, it's in ya'. Not a pretty thought in the public rest rooms sometimes.

[BurtWorm]

7. That's the thing that really puzzles me.

Suppose someone took a very fine stainless steel wire and stimulated the receptors in the olfactory epithelium for a particular smell. Wouldn't you smell the smell, even if the molecules weren't really present? So in that sense (no pun intended), isn't the smell really and truly in you, just waiting to be awoken by the right stimulus?