A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) (03/14/91)
I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR. Does anyone know if this can be done, have a reference as to its composition, or had any experience in its manufacture? It is likely to be quite a complex compound and I am really interested in copying its aversive properties. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold Chamove Massey University Psychology Palmerston North, New Zealand
minsky@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Marvin Minsky) (03/14/91)
In article <1991Mar14.005509.20271@massey.ac.nz> A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: >I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR. > >Does anyone know if this can be done, have a reference as to its >composition, or had any experience in its manufacture? > >It is likely to be quite a complex compound and I am really interested in >copying its aversive properties. My recollection is that it is a very simple compound indeed, C2H5-SH. You might start with ethyl chloride and H2S. Be sure to have the tomato juice ready.
fant@umbc2.umbc.edu (Andy Fant) (03/14/91)
In article <1991Mar14.005509.20271@massey.ac.nz>, A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes... >I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR. > >Does anyone know if this can be done, have a reference as to its >composition, or had any experience in its manufacture? > If memory serves, There was an article in Scientific American within the last 2 or 3 years that addresses the chemical composition of skunk spray. The basic composition was 7 or so assorted thioesters that gave it the ability to remain pungent for an extended time. There were a couple of thiols that also aided the odor. I belive the full analysis was done by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spec, but no confirmational mixture was made. For more data, try sci.chem. If Larry Lippman doesn't know more details, then they don't exist. +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Andy "The Fantom" Fant (fant@{umbc2,chem3,umbc4}.umbc.edu) Disclaimer: My postings are definitive, reality is often inaccurate "It is my supposition that the Universe is not only queerer than we imagine, It is queerer than we CAN imagine." - J.B.S. Haldane
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (03/14/91)
In article <1991Mar14.005509.20271@massey.ac.nz> A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: >I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR. >Does anyone know if this can be done, have a reference as to its >composition, or had any experience in its manufacture? 1-butanethiol (n-butyl mercaptan) is a pretty close approximation to skunk odor. It is a flammable liquid, and is available from laboratory chemical suppliers. For further "reality", add some 1,1-thiochlorobutene (dimethylallyl sulfide). This substance may not be readily available and may require some custom synthesis >It is likely to be quite a complex compound and I am really interested in >copying its aversive properties. While the precise composition may be complex, skunk odor can be well approximated using just the above two ingredients. Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. "Have you hugged your cat today?" VOICE: 716/688-1231 {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry FAX: 716/741-9635 [note: ub=acsu.buffalo.edu] uunet!/ \aerion!larry
ronald@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Ronald A. Amundson) (03/14/91)
In article <1991Mar14.005509.20271@massey.ac.nz> A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: >I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR. > ... ... I am really interested in copying its aversive properties. > >-- >Arnold Chamove >Massey University Psychology >Palmerston North, New Zealand Not meaning to be culturally presumptive, but inasmuch as skunks are not native to New Zealand, it crosses my mind that perhaps Mr. Chamove is believing what he reads about skunk odor. (Sorry if I'm mistaken, Arnold.) By most first-hand accounts, skunk odor is highly aversive only when one is a fairly direct beneficiary of the baptismal fluid itself. In my Midwest U.S. youth I've smelled hundreds of skunk emissions, and only when I've been very close (e.g. to a recent road kill) has it been particularly unpleasant. Many of us backwoods hicks think that the distant odor of skunks is a nice part of a summer evening. (I hereby invite the disdain of Big City diesel-sniffers.) So if it's aversiveness you're after, don't go for skunk odor per se. In fact the aversiveness of the direct emission may not be a matter of "odor" at all, any more than tear gas is aversive because of its odor. Ron Amundson U. of Hawaii at Hilo
bjr@mink.ed.ac.uk (Brian J Ross) (03/14/91)
In article <1991Mar14.005509.20271@massey.ac.nz>, A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes:
# I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR.
#
# Does anyone know if this can be done, have a reference as to its
# composition, or had any experience in its manufacture?
Perhaps you'd like my recipe for chili con carne?
(Sorry.)herbach@informix.com (Martin Herbach) (03/15/91)
>>I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR. >> >... >... I am really interested in copying its aversive properties. >> >>-- >>Arnold Chamove >Not meaning to be culturally presumptive, but inasmuch as skunks are >not native to New Zealand, it crosses my mind that perhaps Mr. Chamove >is believing what he reads about skunk odor. (Sorry if I'm mistaken, >Arnold.) By most first-hand accounts, skunk odor is highly aversive >only when one is a fairly direct beneficiary of the baptismal fluid >itself. In my Midwest U.S. youth I've smelled hundreds of skunk >emissions, and only when I've been very close (e.g. to a recent road >kill) has it been particularly unpleasant. Many of us backwoods hicks >think that the distant odor of skunks is a nice part of a summer >evening. (I hereby invite the disdain of Big City diesel-sniffers.) >Ron Amundson In fact, 10% or so of the population find skunk somewhat alluring. There was a short radio piece reporting this study several years ago. It prompted some conversation at a dinner party that I was at. The hostess admitted that she had always been sort of turned on by the smell, but had kept it to herself, thinking it too perverse to be revealed. She was quite relieved to come out of the closet. Perhaps there is some pheremonal history to this scent which explains why it is perceived in so many different ways (and would also shed light on its origin). BTW, I seem to recall that many more women than men find the odor attractive, but that could be related to their general olfactory acuity somehow. P.S. For sheer stink power, try methyl mercaptan. That's the stuff they add to natural gas so that leaks are detectable. In college, a friend synthesized some and tossed a vial with about 5ml off a major New York area bridge. The "gas leak" caused evacuations over a fairly wide area before the power company called an all-clear.
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (03/15/91)
In article <5507@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> minsky@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Marvin Minsky) writes: >>I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR. > >My recollection is that it is a very simple compound indeed, C2H5-SH. C2H5SH is ethanethiol (ethyl mercaptan) and is the odorant most commonly added to natural gas. Ethanethiol is extremely volatile. While I would not be surprised if some ethanethiol were present in skunk odor, the major thio-alcohol is 1-butanethiol. Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. "Have you hugged your cat today?" VOICE: 716/688-1231 {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry FAX: 716/741-9635 [note: ub=acsu.buffalo.edu] uunet!/ \aerion!larry
davet@tsdiag.ccur.com (Dave Tiller N2KAU) (03/16/91)
In article <1991Mar14.005509.20271@massey.ac.nz>, A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes...
-I am interested in making some SKUNK ODOUR.
-
-Does anyone know if this can be done, have a reference as to its
-composition, or had any experience in its manufacture?
-
I don't know about your neck of the woods, but in most sporting goods
stores you can find fake skunk odor to mask the human scent for bow
hunting. This might be a good place to start, in lieu of ripping the
glands out of a real skunk. As one other reader stated, skunk odor is
most certainly unpleasant, but except for the direct spray case, it is
not a particularly violent smell - just foul.
--
David E. Tiller davet@tsdiag.ccur.com | Concurrent Computer Corp.
FAX: 201-870-5952 Ph: (201) 870-4119 (w) | 2 Crescent Place, M/S 117
UUCP: ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!davet | Oceanport NJ, 07757
ICBM: 40 16' 52" N 73 59' 00" W | N2KAU @ NN2ZA.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) (03/18/91)
Here in NZ we have a big problem with domestic dogs attacking sheep. The only cure at present is to attach a radio-controlled collar to the dog, encourage it to attack some sheep, and then to shock it. With some dogs this works well but with some it does not. I thought that this might be that electricity is not a "naturally aversive event" to dogs. I thought that if one could hook up a sprayer to a sheep, encourage the attack, and then spray the dog, that it might be a better or at least a second line of defence when someone has a sheep-killing dog that they want trained to stop this behaviour. Thank you all for the formulae. If I can work out a delivery device I will let you all know the results. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold Chamove Massey University Psychology Palmerston North, New Zealand
sbishop@desire.wright.edu (03/18/91)
In article <1991Mar18.045509.10783@massey.ac.nz>, A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: > Here in NZ we have a big problem with domestic dogs attacking sheep. > The only cure at present is to attach a radio-controlled collar to the > dog, encourage it to attack some sheep, and then to shock it. > With some dogs this works well but with some it does not. > I thought that this might be that electricity is not a "naturally > aversive event" to dogs. > I thought that if one could hook up a sprayer to a sheep, encourage the > attack, and then spray the dog, that it might be a better or at least a > second line of defence when someone has a sheep-killing dog that they > want trained to stop this behaviour. > > Thank you all for the formulae. If I can work out a delivery device I > will let you all know the results. > Around here we have a device for getting dogs to stop attacking livestock. It's called a rifle. Works every time! you might try this instead of going to all the trouble of using the sprayer. I've never seen a dog cured of attacking sheep (or chickens). Once a killer, always a killer. Maybe the electric shock collar might work but I'm somewhat dubious. I've seen dogs that NEVER learn their lesson with skunks and get sprayed regularly.
A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) (03/19/91)
I am hoping to do some research with a colleague on CO-DEPENDENCE. But we are having great difficulty in coming up with an operational definition. Does anyone have a definition which would allow some research or even a reference for one? -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold Chamove Massey University Psychology Palmerston North, New Zealand
fi@grebyn.com (Fiona Oceanstar) (03/19/91)
'Thought I'd chime in on the skunk-odor conversation, offering a wee tidbit of empirical data: This particular woman very much loves the smell of skunk on the wind, especially while driving down a deserted highway in Texas on an early summer evening when one or two stars have just appeared in the sky. Ahh--sweet pungency. --Fiona Oceanstar
magik@chinet.chi.il.us (Ben Liberman) (03/20/91)
In article <1991Mar19.025511.2389@massey.ac.nz> A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: >I am hoping to do some research with a colleague on CO-DEPENDENCE. >But we are having great difficulty in coming up with an operational definition. > > >Does anyone have a definition which would allow some research >or even a reference for one? > >-- >----------------------------------------------------------------- >Arnold Chamove >Massey University Psychology >Palmerston North, New Zealand My understanding (or lack thereof ;-) of co-dependence is: The co-dependent person must respond to the "perceived/stated" "needs/desires" of a signifcant other(s) before themselves, or feel guilty until they do. It can usually be detected by the lack of the use of the pronoun "I" and failuse to attribute feelings or attitudes to self. If you'd like an essay on the subject, email me and I'll have someone whip one up. ------------ ------------ ---------------------- Ben Liberman USENET magik@chinet.chi.il.us GEnie,Delphi MAGIK -- ------------ ------------ ---------------------- Ben Liberman USENET magik@chinet.chi.il.us GEnie,Delphi MAGIK