I was watching Buffy reruns on Netflix this morning because I’m getting old and creepy and nostalgic-for-the-90s, and still use words like “reruns”, and I came across this scene where Buffy’s Watcher, Rupert Giles, explains to her computer-science teacher why he prefers books to computers, and I think that he says touches on why our online interactions and relationships are unfulfilling:

Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a-a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and-and-and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is a – it, uh, it has no-no texture, no-no context. It’s-it’s there and then it’s gone. If it’s to last, then-then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly.

Agree or disagree, here’s a clip to take up another 47 seconds of your life.

About CT Moore

administrator
Hi, I'm CT Moore (@<a href="http://twitter.com/gypsybandito">gypsybandito</a>) and this is my personal blog, a place where my thoughts go to wander. I'm a recovering agency hack who now manages <a href="http://socialed.ca/seo/">SEO</a>, <a href="http://socialed.ca/social/">social media</a>, and <a href="http://socialed.ca/content-marketing/">content marketing</a> campaigns through my consultancy <a href="http://socialed.ca/">Socialed Inc</a>. Sometimes I speak at conferences, too, but you can check me out on <a href="http://ca.linkedin.com/in/ctmoore">LinkedIn</a> if you really wanna know <i>that</i> much more about me. And if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line. I love it when strangers come a callin' ;-)

2 thoughts on “Knowledge Should be Smelly

  1. I have to agree – as someone of Italian heritage, the smell of certain foods remind me of either places or events.

    Just the other day I walked over a subway vent grate and told my little one how it smelled like a subway – the mix of rubber and grease. Not sure if she completely got it, but she now knows its a subway grate.

    mp/m

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *