Recording scents

[vbjanos]

How an organism smells is often diagnostic. Is there an app or extension to record it?

I am also disappointed that brochures of parks put all the effort in glossy photos but not a single scratchy scent sample. What can we do?

This is my first topic. Please be gentle.

[kimbrint]

Write in the comment field what it smells like

[keirmorse]

I recently started two projects for the scent of flowers and the scent of leaves:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-aroma-of-flowers
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/the-aroma-of-leaves

These require an observation field for each to be filled out before it can be added to the project. I generally record the scents in the notes first and then copy them into the observation field later when I add them to the projects.

[drew_meyer]

Scent (and taste) can be a powerful tool for identification since the smell of an organism can indicate something about its chemical profile. But for the same reason, “recording scents” is extremely difficult, it requires the same chemicals to be reproduced in the same ratios as the scent to be recorded. Many of these organic chemicals don’t preserve well and/or are unstable in the type of medium in which we might store them. Any reproduction of a biological scent is therefore likely to be only a crude approximation, it is seldom practical to try reproducing a scent using a scratch-and-sniff type of record.

A more practical option is to try and record the scent using language, comparing the smell to other smells familiar to people. This is still a rather crude approximation since people’s perceptions of smell are subjective, but it can still be extremely useful in some circumstances and is well worth pursuing.

[naturalist_nate]

one aroma that I absolutely love is the smell of sycamore trees on a humid day (especially in the morning). But describing that scent? oof.

[giannamaria]

I’ve imagined what it would be like if you could somehow record a scent on your phone and upload it to iNat. I’m sure a lot of “skunk” observations would be misidentified as something else :-P

[vbjanos]

I joined your Leaves project and added some Australian plants.
I am not into sweet florals but I’ll to records some that are eligible on the Flowers.

[Thunderhead]

I’ve said many times I’d like smell-o-vision cameras… I know way way too many people who would abuse that with terrible odors!

[vbjanos]

I realised that scratchies are really out of date.

There is Madeleine the headspace capture camera and some serious portable analytical devices.
On demand reproduction would need hundreds of volatiles.
When I ask for a relaxing mixed forest scent I would get ‘Please replace the alpha-pinene cartridge’

[vbjanos]

Just turn the volume down and you get jasmine

[pepperjackb]

I figured this would be a good April Fool’s announcement for iNat.

[grampianshiker]

I feel this topic would be incomplete without some comment about cameras/phones needing ‘scent-sors’…

[Quokka2]

I love this idea of smells? No idea how it could be implemented but yes!

[vbjanos]

I have ideas (anyone can have ideas that does not work)

• Signal the Enterprise to visit us from the future and set it up
• Wait a couple of decades for the current bulky equipment to become cheap and miniature
• Use carrier pigeons

[donparker]

I love that idea. Reminds me of a 1980s movie by John Waters with Devine called Polyester with scratch and sniff Odorama cards

[vbjanos]

The scratch and sniff cards for Polyester are available again, I just need to find it on VHS for authentic 80’s experience.