Re: Why does metal smell?

From: Mark Fergerson (nunya_at_biz.ness)
Date: 02/15/05 

Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 16:42:43 -0700

Ian Stirling wrote:
> The vapour pressure of the metal is obviously bugger-all, at room
> temp.
> Why do things smell metallic?

   Lots of interesting responses to this question.

   No, I don't have any better answers, but I do have another question.

   _Why_ can we smell metals?

   Our sense of smell is said to be our most ancient, so you'd think
that the ability to smell metals must have some evolutionary value. But
pure metals are rare absent technology (except for frinst Cu and Au).

   So, is our ability to smell metals really an evolutionary "feature",
or a "bug" resulting from a fortuitous sensitivity in our receptors that
the "odor of metals" just happens to match?

   Off the top of my head I can think of only two "natural" things with
a smell commonly characterized as metallic; blood, and water so
mineralized it isn't safe to drink.

   Mark L. Fergerson

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