When we think about scientists, it’s likely that many of us initially picture a person working in a clean lab and looking at a sample through a microscope.
However, that mental image doesn’t even scratch the surface of what many of these people do on a daily basis, especially when it comes to working out in the field. Biologists, archaeologists, and other people of science often put themselves in less-than-ideal conditions for research, like examining rotting corpses or wading through bogs. That’s what sparked a discussion on Twitter prompting people to describe the worst thing they’ve ever smelled on the job — and the answers were seriously nasty.
These 15 scientists must really love what they do, because they deal with some pretty disgusting smells in their lines of work. Let’s just say that vomiting isn’t very uncommon for them.
1. Rotting turtle soup, basically.
https://twitter.com/AlongsideWild/status/875130192875986944
2. I doubt she ever got that smell completely out.
https://twitter.com/AlongsideWild/status/875130795677163520
3. Sounds delightful.
https://twitter.com/LaurenGilhooly_/status/875151399897649152
4. What a crappy job.
https://twitter.com/MickVeit/status/876946187974213637
5. The heat has to make it a million times worse.
https://twitter.com/MickVeit/status/876944411892092929
6. NOPE. No thanks!
https://twitter.com/halliehh/status/875250792814567425
7. If handling a whale carcass isn’t bad enough, let’s just let it marinate for a few weeks first.
8. I imagine that’s become his permanent smell.
9. And here we have the makings of the perfect storm of nastiness.
https://twitter.com/cj_battey/status/875133060336893952
10. I’m so glad I wasn’t on the train that day.
11. It might be time to get into the shower and never come out.
12. But out of all the awful stenches, many agreed that dead turtles are the absolute worst.
13. It seems that the smell of their carcasses could weaken anyone’s stomach…
14. …and leave a seriously bad impression.
https://twitter.com/KaptainRose/status/875435832185950209
15. It apparently even has the power to destroy souls.
(via IFL Science)