My friend posed an interesting question last evening. Why does lighting a match after one has "dropped a few friends off at the pool" mask the odor that is typically generated during such activities so well?
His question was more of a chemical one, one that I really don't have the answer to but it may or may not have to do with the ignition of the sulfur/phosphorous tip or something to do with the combustion process. I'm not really sure and I have no chemical experiments to suggest nor any other references as human poo odor does not seem to be the subject of too many published studies. It's probably an issue for Lysol or Glade, but as they are private companies and thus do not regularly publish the results of their studies they are of no significant or recognizable help.
But my conclusion last night was based more in a foundation of evolutionary pressures. Say you're walking through the woods one afternoon and you happen to come across a scat or two. Sure, the odor may be noticeable and even unpleasant. Now put a raging wildfire in the same scenario. Which is more important for the individual's survival? Avoiding stepping in poo or getting the hell out of Dodge?
I don't know about you, but I have difficulty in identifying smells when more than about 3 or 4 are present. But I think that there exist some smells that may be "more important" than others, especially when it comes to survival. So my answer to his question is that it is more important to be able to recognize the smell of fire than it is to smell a big pile of hot, steamy butt mud.
but what if it's a flaming poo?
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