Studies show that many smells are associated for us with some kind of objects or situations from the past. But have you noticed that some of them have remained in the past, and today we can no longer feel them?
Smell of ink
Those who were born in the last century will surely remember this unique smell, which smelled like brand new books and textbooks. Today in the whole world there is only one company (located in the USA), which produces printing ink using the same old technology (a mixture of ethanol and isopropane in equal proportions).
Diesel exhaust smell
Even 20 years ago, this smell was invariably associated for us with a bus approaching a bus stop. Nowadays, the sulfur content in diesel fuel has decreased, and new chemical catalysts have been used, and as a result, the smell has changed.
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Polaroid film smell
At the end of the last century, many dreamed of a Polaroid camera that could instantly print pictures. The fresh Polaroid film removed from the foil had a special sweetish smell. For the 80s generation, photography smelled like that. However, in 2008 Polaroid discontinued production of such film. In our digital age, conventional film images are generally not very much in demand.
Smell markers
Markers became popular in the 80s. Then they had a peculiar pungent smell, since their ink consisted of a mixture of toluene and xylene. Today, markers are also used, but today they use less odorous alcohol-based ink.
The smell of caps
And one more "hello" from the 80s. One of the entertainments for children of that time was blowing up caps. In general, there were special pistols for this, but few had them, and the explosions were most often produced by hitting the piston with a stone. The Pistons smelled of gunpowder and sulfur around them. For many eighties, this is the smell of childhood. In our time, the younger generation, of course, prefers to play computer games at their leisure, and caps have become a rarity.
The smell of a new car
Of course, cars were produced in the last century, and they are being produced now. But the smell of modern cars is very different from what it was 30 years ago. The fact is that then the cars were made mainly from natural materials. And they smelled of metal and leather. And nowadays, most of the car parts are made of synthetics, plastics and other "chemicals". And the smell of the car is appropriate.
The smell of burnt leaves
Earlier in the spring and autumn our yards were invariably filled with the bitter aroma of burnt foliage. The janitors raked the leaves into a heap and burned the fire. Today this smell is felt less and less. Some residents are protesting against harvesting leaves in their backyards, and many countries have introduced a ban on burning leaves due to the environmental situation.
Chalk smell
It is he who most of all reminds us of the school. True, nowadays they still use chalk in schools, but, most likely, in the next decade it will be replaced by interactive touchboards: both modern and economical.
Daria Lyubimskaya