Saturday, April 14, 2012

The Smell of Old Books

When you walk into a bookstore (especially a used book store), what is one of the first things you notice? The smell of old books. Why is that?
Well chemists have found the answer to this question.
According to AbeBooks.com and their video Why Do Old Books Smell?, “Chemists at University College, London have investigated the old book odor and concluded that old books release hundreds of volatile organic compounds into the air from the paper. The lead scientist described the smell as ‘A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness.’”

Do we really need to know this information? Will ereaders someday emit a slit odor to stimulate our senses? Remember Smell-o-vision for TV’s?
Here is another video you may find useful from AbeBooks:

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