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CDA
February 20, 2023
Science tries to explain why we like the smell of gasoline and one of its theories has to do with benzene, a toxic substance.
There are people who feel special predilection for the smell of gasoline And now a scientific study seems to have discovered the reason. According to researchers at the University of Liverpool (UK), the reason seems to be both psychological and physiological.
To explain it, we must refer to what is known as the Proust phenomenon. Named after the French writer Marcel Proust, it holds that smell can evoke emotions more quickly and effectively than any other sense. This is because our olfactory system is quite close to the parts of our brain that deal with emotions and memory (amygdala and hippocampus). Since gasoline is ubiquitous in most people’s lives, we all probably have many gasoline-related memories.
The presence of benzene may be a clue
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Another theory holds that we may not like the smell of gasoline at all and that our brain is fooling us. Scientists theorize that the small amount of benzene in gasoline puts our metabolic system to sleep, causing us a brief feeling of euphoria. This creates a connection between the smell of gasoline and the feeling of euphoria.
Further proof of this theory is that the same people who “like” the smell of gasoline also claim that they like the smell of nail polish, paint and tennis balls: they all have benzene.
Odors in the car: what they are like and how they affect us
Benzene is extremely toxic to humans. and inhaling it in excess can cause “impaired short-term memory, attention, response inhibition, and problem solving,” with long-lasting effects “due to solvent-induced loss of white matter volume throughout the body.” the brain…with a particularly high level of white matter abnormalities found in the frontal and temporal lobes…regions that are critical mediators of higher-order cognitive tasks.”
