Picture this: it’s a sunny day at the seaside and you’re enjoying an icecream. The human predilection to follow scripted conversation formats is such that you cannot fail to overhear somebody appreciatively inhale before joyously proclaiming “mmmmm, smell that sea air!”, to which a companion will invariably offer a helpfully informative “ah yes, that’s ozone“.
The “ozone thing” is something I’ve heard many times, and it’s discussed all over the web, including this article by Dr. H. Rzepa of Imperial College London’s Chemistry Dept.
However, according to the University of East Anglia it’s not the ozone that’s smelly, it’s dimethyl sulphate.
Somehow I don’t think the ozone story will go away, it’s a far easier name to remember than di-sulpher-thingy.
