**Ask a monkey a physics question thread**

[Pascal]

Why does stuff still smell even like 3 days later (like curry on a plate)? Doesn't the smell disappear into the air? Where is the smell coming from

[abelardx]

Why does stuff still smell even like 3 days later (like curry on a plate)? Doesn't the smell disappear into the air? Where is the smell coming from

Smell is mollycules.

[MadMojoMonkey]

Why does stuff still smell even like 3 days later (like curry on a plate)? Doesn't the smell disappear into the air? Where is the smell coming from

The human sense of smell is sensitive to several parts per billion. Which means that only a few molecules of 'stink' per every billion molecules of air can be smelled by an average human's sense of smell. Microscopic particles can remain suspended in the air for a surprisingly long time. Dust from the Sahara makes its way to South America.

Even after you wash something, most anti-bacterial soaps /sanitizers claim to kill 99.99% of germs. So that leaves about 1 part per ten thousand... which is a over a thousand times more than necessary for the average person's nose to smell.


P.S. smell disappear

[MadMojoMonkey]

Even after you wash something, most anti-bacterial soaps /sanitizers claim to kill 99.99% of germs. So that leaves about 1 part per ten thousand... which is a over a thousand times more than necessary for the average person's nose to smell.

Just realized that could mean that 99.99% of known bacteria will be killed... and not necessarily 99.99% of any sample.

[Savy]

Just realized that could mean that 99.99% of known bacteria will be killed... and not necessarily 99.99% of any sample.

You realise it says 99.99% because it'd cost them millions to do testing to get every single form of bacteria to prove it was 100% not because it leaves 0.001% alive.

[chemist]

The human sense of smell is sensitive to several parts per billion. Which means that only a few molecules of 'stink' per every billion molecules of air can be smelled by an average human's sense of smell. Microscopic particles can remain suspended in the air for a surprisingly long time. Dust from the Sahara makes its way to South America.

Even after you wash something, most anti-bacterial soaps /sanitizers claim to kill 99.99% of germs. So that leaves about 1 part per ten thousand... which is a over a thousand times more than necessary for the average person's nose to smell.


P.S. smell disappear

Which is enough to catch the noro virus from vomit or faecal particles.
So can you catch it from some douche farting?
If you smelt it you caught it.

[MadMojoMonkey]

Which is enough to catch the noro virus from vomit or faecal particles.
So can you catch it from some douche farting?
If you smelt it you caught it.

From the wiki on Norovirus:
"infection can follow eating food or breathing air near an episode of vomiting, even if cleaned up"