Petrichor
That’s the word for that “smell of rain” you get after a storm. I always wondered if there was a word out there that described it because it’s a sense of smell we so often talk about (especially here in the Pacific Northwest). According to wikipedia,
The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian researchers, Bear and Thomas, for an article in the journal Nature.[1] In the article, the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it is absorbed by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released into the air along with another compound, geosmin, producing the distinctive scent. In a follow-up paper, Bear and Thomas (1965) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth.[2]
Fascinating. [wikipedia]
The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.
— Charles Du Bos (via minimalmac)
