Its not a very common question that's asked around, but when it IS actually asked, it is my personal oservation that many many people who have been asked about it mention 'the-smell-when-rain-touches-the-ground'. You must have figured that the question is 'favourite smell' or something close to that....Some other nice answers i remember are petrol and freshly ground coffee. Maybe i remember them because they are among my favourites too...including the holy ash 'vibuthi' and any yummy smelling food...!! (who wouldn't like that!) Anywayz, thank i don't know what for our olfactory senses....even though we cant be as good as dogs. Ok, am starting to blabber.... so i'll finish this.
A while back.. i was browsing the net looking for some info that my damn text book did not have...microbiology BTW. And i happened to come across something abt the organism in question, but obviously not exactly what i was looking for (serenditpity, i've heard they call it)...hell, if i write what i just read, in my answerpaper, they'd probably strike off the whole paper!
Anyway, i think serendipity is a nice word (other words that i think sound nice are 'rhapsody' and 'placid' They somehow seem to convey the meaning with just the way they're pronounced...now u know why i have both words in association with my blog)..... cuz the concept rocks! Even Alexander Fleming is said to have been serendipitous, because he was merely cleaning up his laboratory when he discovered that the Penicillium mould had contaminated one of his old experiments. Apparently, the word has been voted among the 10 English words that are most difficult to translate! isn't that cool? Before i completely deviate, and forget what i wanted to post....the article.
Most people notice a distinctive smell in the air after it rains. It's frequently linked with spring, as the smell of fresh cut grass is associated with summer. You'll find it in a lot of poetry and also on many inspirational lists of things to be happy about. But what causes it?
As it turns out, the smells people associate with rainstorms can be caused by a number of things. One of the more pleasant rain smells, the one we often notice in the woods, is actually caused by bacteria! Actinomycetes, a type of filamentous bacteria, grow in soil when conditions are damp and warm. When the soil dries out, the bacteria produces spores in the soil. The wetness and force of rainfall kick these tiny spores up into the air where the moisture after a rain acts as an aerosol (just like an aerosol air freshener). The moist air easily carries the spores to us so we breathe them in. These spores have a distinctive, earthy smell we often associate with rainfall. The bacteria is extremely common and can be found in areas all over the world, which accounts for the universality of this sweet "after-the-rain" smell. Since the bacteria thrives in moist soil but releases the spores once the soil dries out, the smell is most acute after a rain that follows a dry spell, although you'll notice it to some degree after most rainstorms.
Aaaah.... i had to look up something about the history of dear actinomycetes... ('dear' now, cuz i know wat they do...it was buggin a while back!)....n i ended up with something i've wanted to know for long! Funny....the way things work...
Why don't u tell us all what kind of smells you like? The Comments column awaits you!
Gotto get back to main stream microbiology...... :-(
Signing off...