Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Flowers' Smell Not Traveling As Far

Posted by kdawson on from the bloom-is-off-the-rose dept.

Ant writes in to note a study indicating that, because of air pollution, the smell of flowers is not wafting as far as it once did. Pollutants from power plants and automobiles destroy flowers' aromas, the study suggests: "The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment, such as in the 1800s, could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters; but in today's polluted environment downwind of major cities, they may travel only 200 to 300 meters." The finding could help explain why some pollinators, particularly bees, are declining in certain parts of the world.

13 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Good! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    I hate all flying insects, especially bees!

    more pollution please!

  2. Brilliant by kramulous · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does this mean I don't have to wear deodorant anymore?

    --
    .
    1. Re:Brilliant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      filthy nerd

    2. Re:Brilliant by TheLink · · Score: 4, Funny

      Uh in this case you're probably the pollutant not the flower :).

      --
    3. Re:Brilliant by MrNaz · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dude, are you sure you are wearing deodorant and not crude oil?

      --
      I hate printers.
  3. Vapor trails? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    And yet I can still smell my brother's farts from across the room.

    I'd better get that SUV after all.

  4. hmmm... by theheadlessrabbit · · Score: 4, Funny

    can't they just genetically engineer flowers with more potent aromas?

    then we will inevitably have a /. story about long delays getting the product developed, and the whole idea of new smelly flowers will get tagged as vaporware, which would be an entirely inappropriate tag.

    --
    -I only code in BASIC.-
    1. Re:hmmm... by Foobar+of+Borg · · Score: 2, Funny

      then we will inevitably have a /. story about long delays getting the product developed, and the whole idea of new smelly flowers will get tagged as vaporware, which would be an entirely inappropriate tag.
      Okay, we'll just tag it dukesmellemforever
      --
      Similar to the upcoming US election results
  5. Actually a good thing for my wife by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    My wife has terrible allergies to anything like flowers, pets, perfumes, etc. When we lived in Atlanta, she didn't have nearly as many problems since the smog clobbered all those things.

  6. Re:Good grief by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    My environment is screwy too. For some reason LD_LIBRARY_PATH and JAVA_HOME are getting unset.

  7. Re:Horse shit. by ByteSlicer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Last I heard, the news reports were stating that bees weren't vanishing after all. Then they were. Then they weren't again. I heard rumors they plan to leave again right after putting a vase in every house, engraved with 'So long and thanks for all the sugar'.
  8. Re:Keep Trying. by MrNaz · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now now, there's no need to be angry and start name-calling. After all, even uninsightful people are still human after all. Shakespeare said that a rose by any other name would... oh, never mind.

    --
    I hate printers.
  9. Re:No sense of smell by bar-agent · · Score: 2, Funny

    It makes me wonder how dogs deal. I suppose since they sniff ass on a regular basis, it mustn't bother them much.

    --
    i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]