This Odor Speaks Volumes

Scott LaFee
Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Lifestyle

You know that old book smell, slightly acidic and definitely musty? Researchers at University College London think that besides being evocative, the aroma of old books could be useful.

Matija Strlic, a conservator at the Center for Sustainable Heritage, has published a proof-of-concept paper that shows it's possible to understand the composition and condition of old paper based solely upon the volatile organic compounds it emits. In other words, how the paper smells. Strlic told The New York Times he got the idea while watching a librarian sniffing an old piece of paper one day, trying to determine what it was made of.

In their research, Strlic and colleagues analyzed volatile chemicals produced by 72 samples of old paper of different types and varying conditions from the 19th and 20th centuries. They found that certain compounds were reliable markers for certain kinds of paper, and their levels indicative of age. Strlic said that with additional research it might be possible to create an electronic nose that could sniff the air around old book collections and determine their condition, reducing the need to open and examine especially fragile volumes.
Updated: Wed Dec 02, 2009

You know that old book smell, slightly acidic and definitely musty? Researchers at University College London think that besides being evocative, the aroma of old books could be useful.

Matija Strlic, a conservator at the Center for Sustainable Heritage, has published a proof-of-concept paper that shows it's possible to understand the composition and condition of old paper based solely upon the volatile organic compounds it emits. In other words, how the paper smells. Strlic told The New York Times he got the idea while watching a librarian sniffing an old piece of paper one day, trying to determine what it was made of.

In their research, Strlic and colleagues analyzed volatile chemicals produced by 72 samples of old paper of different types and varying conditions from the 19th and 20th centuries. They found that certain compounds were reliable markers for certain kinds of paper, and their levels indicative of age. Strlic said that with additional research it might be possible to create an electronic nose that could sniff the air around old book collections and determine their condition, reducing the need to open and examine especially fragile volumes.

PRIME NUMBERS

43,000 — Latest estimated number of koalas remaining on the Australian mainland

100,000 — Previous recent estimates

30 — Years before Australia's koala population goes extinct if current trends are accurate and on-going

Source: Australian Koala Foundation

BRAIN SWEAT

Take the letters ERGRO. Put three letters in front of it and the same three letters behind to form a common English word.

QUIRKS OF NATURE

The feathers aren't any good for flying, but they sound nice. Researchers have discovered that the club-winged manakin creates its high-pitched courtship song by rubbing certain feathers together, much like stridulating crickets rub their legs. One feather on each wing has seven ridges along its central vane, against which another feather rubs when the bird raises its wings over its back and shakes its feathers. The repeated striking causes adjacent feathers to vibrate at high speed, producing music to potential mate's ears.

BRAIN SWEAT ANSWER

UNDergroUND

THE GEEK ATLAS

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1

43 degrees, 30 minutes, 41.12 seconds north, 113 degrees, 0 minutes, 20.29 seconds west

Idaho is home to potatoes and the Idaho National Laboratory, which seems to grow nuclear reactors like spuds: More than 50 have been built on the site since 1949. Among them is the Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1, the first nuclear reactor to produce electricity, which happened on Dec. 20, 1951, when the reactor generated enough electricity to power four 200-watt light bulbs. The next day, EBR-1 produced enough power to light the entire building, but its job was done: Proving the concept of a breeder reactor that used plutonium instead of uranium as fuel.

VERBATIM

Why is it that if someone tells you there are 300 billion stars in the Milky Way, you believe them, but if they tell you a wall has wet paint, you have to touch it to be sure?

PATENTLY ABSURD

What gerbil owner hasn't hankered to take his pet for long walks in the country or maybe a night out on the town? Alas, the little critters are limited by their short legs and shorter attention span, which makes them prone to wandering off. One remedy: the "Gerbil Shirt," patented in 1999. It's not really a garment at all, but a collection of flexible, plastic tubes that can be wrapped around the torso, allowing your little, furry buddy to accompany you almost anywhere people wearing rodents are accepted.

WHERE IN THE WORLD ANSWER

OK, it's a trick question since the answer isn't of this world. The image is of Olympus Mons on Mars, the tallest known volcano and mountain in the solar system at 88,600 feet or roughly three times the elevation of Mount Everest above sea level.