Saturday, June 18, 2011
When pleasant scents are outlawed
I'm genuinely puzzled by something.
Smell-O-Vision has been a constant goal for several decades, but very hard to achieve for one big reason: human olfaction doesn't have any measurable parameters.
Sight and sound can be measured and reproduced in a nicely systematic and parallel way. Intensity in both is logarithmic. Pitch and color are both cyclic. Both have primary values that depend on wavelength, both have a system of mixed colors and chords. This makes it possible to paint pictures by mixing single pigments or single screen dots, and to reproduce music by physically or electrically recording the ups and downs of the waves.
Color has been understood in an objective way pretty much forever, pitch for at least 300 years.
None of that applies to scent. Professional perfumers have a vocabulary of primary scents, but it's idiosyncratic and subjective, with no known way to match the scents to specific elements or molecules.
The original theater-based Smell-O-Vision was based on mounting a few pre-mixed chemicals for each movie. Expensive, ineffective and non-systematic.
In the computer age there have been a few failed efforts, and one new effort that promises to be available by the end of 2011 [Somewhat later indication: will be available in time for Christmas purchases]. ScentScape appears to have found a good set of primary chemicals from which most smells can be mixed systematically.
I'm eager to get a ScentScape gadget as soon as it comes out, because my life has been short of good smells lately. Tobacco is gone from most ambient environments, and pleasant perfumes are increasingly rare. I know the lack isn't solely my aging senses, because I occasionally catch a brief sniff of pleasant perfumes on older women who clearly stuck with their 1966 favorite scent.
As more Americans "acquire" "multiple-chemical sensitivity", good smells will disappear even more, which in turn will cause more Americans to "acquire" "multiple-chemical sensitivity". As exposure lessens, sensitivity will rise.
Why will this mainly affect good smells? The NRA principle. Employers who want to avoid MCS lawsuits will outlaw all perfumes, perfumed soaps and deodorants on the premises. Fear of MCS lawsuits will not stop the outlaw smells from tramps, babies, dogs, diesel trucks, Chinese plastic, etc.
Finally, here's what puzzles me. Most of the online opinions on ScentScape (and other computer smell devices) focus on bad smells. Some of the commenters are eager to use the device to design zombie and vampire and lizard smells, while others hate the whole idea because they can only imagine it making zombie and vampire and lizard smells. I suspect most of the commenters are gamer types who have a peculiar approach to life, but it still seems like an odd way to focus.
I'd think more people would be hungry for pleasure!
= = = = =
Later thought: If a gadget like ScentScape works well, it could finally provide the basis for systematically discussing scents, not just reproducing them. Instead of giving mutually incomprehensible descriptions like "Well, it's a Woolco clothing store smell, but sort of tinged with fuel oil", you could just pass along the ScentScape code and the recipient could duplicate the smell.
= = = = =
Another note: Germans are showing the same obsession with the unpleasant. It's an amazingly consistent and universal pattern. Here's a comment on a ScentScape review in a German blog:
= = = = =
Update 12/22/11: Well, it's just about the end of 2011, just about Christmas, and still no indication of a release date. The device is clearly real and usable, because it's already being used in some medical experiments. But I can't find any indication of sale to the public. I hope they get it to market; would hate to see the very first literal vaporware become just another figurative vaporware!
= = = = =
Update 3/14/12: Scent Sciences is finally showing signs of preparing to release the product! They're asking for pre-order requests. = = = = = Update 2017: Nope, never happened. All of the Scent Sciences websites halted around 2013. No indication of further activity.
Smell-O-Vision has been a constant goal for several decades, but very hard to achieve for one big reason: human olfaction doesn't have any measurable parameters.
Sight and sound can be measured and reproduced in a nicely systematic and parallel way. Intensity in both is logarithmic. Pitch and color are both cyclic. Both have primary values that depend on wavelength, both have a system of mixed colors and chords. This makes it possible to paint pictures by mixing single pigments or single screen dots, and to reproduce music by physically or electrically recording the ups and downs of the waves.
Color has been understood in an objective way pretty much forever, pitch for at least 300 years.
None of that applies to scent. Professional perfumers have a vocabulary of primary scents, but it's idiosyncratic and subjective, with no known way to match the scents to specific elements or molecules.
The original theater-based Smell-O-Vision was based on mounting a few pre-mixed chemicals for each movie. Expensive, ineffective and non-systematic.
In the computer age there have been a few failed efforts, and one new effort that promises to be available by the end of 2011 [Somewhat later indication: will be available in time for Christmas purchases]. ScentScape appears to have found a good set of primary chemicals from which most smells can be mixed systematically.
I'm eager to get a ScentScape gadget as soon as it comes out, because my life has been short of good smells lately. Tobacco is gone from most ambient environments, and pleasant perfumes are increasingly rare. I know the lack isn't solely my aging senses, because I occasionally catch a brief sniff of pleasant perfumes on older women who clearly stuck with their 1966 favorite scent.
As more Americans "acquire" "multiple-chemical sensitivity", good smells will disappear even more, which in turn will cause more Americans to "acquire" "multiple-chemical sensitivity". As exposure lessens, sensitivity will rise.
Why will this mainly affect good smells? The NRA principle. Employers who want to avoid MCS lawsuits will outlaw all perfumes, perfumed soaps and deodorants on the premises. Fear of MCS lawsuits will not stop the outlaw smells from tramps, babies, dogs, diesel trucks, Chinese plastic, etc.
Finally, here's what puzzles me. Most of the online opinions on ScentScape (and other computer smell devices) focus on bad smells. Some of the commenters are eager to use the device to design zombie and vampire and lizard smells, while others hate the whole idea because they can only imagine it making zombie and vampire and lizard smells. I suspect most of the commenters are gamer types who have a peculiar approach to life, but it still seems like an odd way to focus.
I'd think more people would be hungry for pleasure!
= = = = =
Later thought: If a gadget like ScentScape works well, it could finally provide the basis for systematically discussing scents, not just reproducing them. Instead of giving mutually incomprehensible descriptions like "Well, it's a Woolco clothing store smell, but sort of tinged with fuel oil", you could just pass along the ScentScape code and the recipient could duplicate the smell.
= = = = =
Another note: Germans are showing the same obsession with the unpleasant. It's an amazingly consistent and universal pattern. Here's a comment on a ScentScape review in a German blog:
omg… das könnte bei manchen Spiel echt übel ausgehen… wenn ich da so an manchen Zombie oder so denke der halb verwest Laichen first… oh man solche Gerüche möchte ich nicht riechen….
aber bei einem Farmgame die Frischen Obst und Gemüse Gerüche in der Nase haben… das würde den Spielspaß durchaus verbessern.
= = = = =
Update 12/22/11: Well, it's just about the end of 2011, just about Christmas, and still no indication of a release date. The device is clearly real and usable, because it's already being used in some medical experiments. But I can't find any indication of sale to the public. I hope they get it to market; would hate to see the very first literal vaporware become just another figurative vaporware!
= = = = =
Update 3/14/12: Scent Sciences is finally showing signs of preparing to release the product! They're asking for pre-order requests. = = = = = Update 2017: Nope, never happened. All of the Scent Sciences websites halted around 2013. No indication of further activity.
Labels: defensible thymes
¶ 5:03 PM
