• cybervseas@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1872·
    2 months ago

    I’m tired of microblog screenshots that self-censor 😕

    Also that’s cool. I’m pretty sure I cannot smell ants. But it’s also possible there are ants everywhere I go, so I can’t discern what part of the background smells are the ants.

    • Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      2 months ago

      I was watching “deep dives” on Youtube yesterday and was getting confused by all the censoring. Even the word “sex” was censored, and like… what? Not just SA (which I understand censoring), but sex itself? In a video ostensibly designed for an adult (or at least teenage) audience?

      It’s hard to follow a story when words get censored that you don’t expect to get censored. In my mind I think something much worse is being said, and have to pause and rewind to ensure I understood correctly. The best part is, the creator wasn’t even from the US, land of the Puritans. I expect Europeans not to be afraid of sex, but I guess this is what Youtube is doing to the world?

      • XeroxCool@lemmy.worldEnglish
        15·
        2 months ago

        That degree of censorship usually implies the content is dual posted to TikTok in my experience

        • Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          2 months ago

          That’s weird, because the videos I watch are 1-2 hours long (or longer.) Informational deep dives are practically the opposite of Tik Tok.

          • XeroxCool@lemmy.worldEnglish
            7·
            2 months ago

            I mean it’s my general experience, not a hard rule. Just because the TikTok algorithm actively promotes content with high interaction without any requirement for accuracy doesn’t mean there’s no educational information on the platform.

            Alternatives:

            • condensed clips are crossposted to tiktok
            • self censorship to the strictest level to minimize risk of demonetization
            • self censorship to avoid a mature rating, so viewers don’t have to log in to watch
            • self censorship to the strictest degree based on all popular platforms’ requirements because that is “the internet”

            People have always doe weird censorship things as both users and admin. Forums used to **** everything. Then things were free. The big companies started facing public pressure for beings the hosts of content and locked down again.

    • ObtuseDoorFrame@lemmy.zipEnglish
      1617·
      2 months ago

      People complaining about the censorship is significantly more annoying than the actual tiny little blur on one single letter in one single word.

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    681·
    2 months ago

    I had no idea it was a genetic thing that not everyone has. It’s pretty awesome that after fifty years slogging through life, I still run across cool new shit like this

  • FinjaminPoach@lemmy.worldEnglish
    52·
    2 months ago

    Wow that’s really weird because i thought ants were supposed to be everywhere - at least in summertime when you go outside. If they smell that bad then it must be unbearable just walking around places in the city.

    • starik@lemmy.zipEnglish
      32·
      2 months ago

      I can only smell them if I sniff a crushed one up close. It’s been a long time - I don’t step on bugs on purpose.

      • Ada@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        30·
        2 months ago

        I don’t think they’re talking about the dead/distressed ant smell. To the best of my knowledge, everyone can smell that. They’re talking about a general smell of ants

        • Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.worldEnglish
          8·
          2 months ago

          It could be the same smell, maybe just a different concentration of formic acid.

          And no, I can’t smell anything from dead or distressed ants. I’ve never smelled anything from an ant, either dead or alive. It’s definitely not an “everyone can smell that” thing.

          Edit: I just read this comment which says it’s not formic acid. Though they don’t cite any sources (yet), so I don’t really know.

          • Danquebec@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            2·
            2 months ago

            Same, never smelled ants.

            And I’ve watched ants a lot when I was a kid. I still do sometimes.

            I used to even bring pieces of food from the pantry to give to the ants.

        • Biffsbraincell@lemmy.zipEnglish
          1·
          2 months ago

          I’m pretty sure that’s the smell they’re talking about, they make more of it when disturbed or crushed but it’s always a tiny bit there. But pretty sure that’s the smell they’re speaking of.

          • Ada@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            The reason I doubt that is because I can’t smell ants “all the time”. And I can definitely smell them when they’re disturbed. But most people who talk about smelling ants describe the smell as “damp” or “mouldy” or “earthy”, and I have never smelled an ant that smells like that.

            The only smell I’ve ever smelled from them is acrid and acidic, and that only happens when they’re disturbed or dead.

      • j5906@feddit.orgEnglish
        8·
        2 months ago

        I cant smell ants but I can “smell” formic acid. Even diluted formic acid is so much more pungent and terrible then vinegar, so I doubt its that…

        • southsamurai@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          16·
          2 months ago

          I went and read up on it, was going to edit in , but I’ll just do it here.

          Apparently it isn’t the formic acid, it’s other chemicals, and not all ants produce them. I have smelled what they’re talking about, or at least three descriptions of one kind of ant smelling like funky cheese is something I have run into.

          So you’re totally right, and my assumption was wrong.

          But damn, formic acid, even dilute, really is pungent. Nose wrinkling, sneeze inducing for me.

          Edit: after a nap, I read more, and apparently, being able to smell formic acid is a genetic thing. But wading through llm generated bullshit to find more reliable info buried the real lede. As an aside, that’s the original word for the phrase; it wasn’t lead, it was a newspaper jargon thing, even though lead works just as well as lede.

            • southsamurai@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              2·
              2 months ago

              It was about ants having different smells, caused when either threatened or injured for the most part.

              Specifically, as an example I remembered because I’ve smelled it, the most common upper of ant you’ll find in houses (here in the US anyway) smells cheesy. It’s even called the odorous house ant. That’s because of a type of chemical called methyl ketones. Ketones are basically really volatile organic compounds; acetone is a ketone.

              Now, regarding what some people can’t smell vs those that can, reports were mixed. But, it does seem that formic acid can’t be smelled by everyone, and some ketones can’t be smelled by everyone. You either have the right genes active or you don’t. But, apparently, tiktok has yet again caused problems with inaccurate info spread, so people think that you either smell ants, or you don’t, which isn’t the case, it comes down to the chemicals they produce, and those vary.

              That being said, there is still the possibility that the reason any given individual hasn’t smelled ants is because they’ve never gotten close enough, or run across large numbers of the little ladies in one place. Most people aren’t going to get close to a bunch of crushed ants, and if ants are alive chances are you aren’t getting close enough to take a sniff unless you’re a real weirdo.

              And yes, I’m one of those weirdos that has gotten up close to both living and dead ants. Not to sniff them, but out of curiosity. Hence why I have smelled them in small numbers as well as larger groups. Some ants are really unconcerned about something the size of a human, particularly when it moves slowly enough not to seem like an insectivore coming in for a meal. So you can, if you’re careful, get up close enough to use a magnifying glass to get better looks at them doing their thing (and don’t burn them, it’s not at all okay).

              When you get that close, even though there’s no alarm pheromones, every ant type I ever got close to had that pungent, acrid smell of formic acid. It’s similar to vinegar or other acids that you might use around the house, but definitely not the same. Like I said elsewhere, it’s earthier and more pungent.

              My area has some red ants, and if enough of those die, they smell like pepper. As in standard table pepper.

              • Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.worldEnglish
                2·
                2 months ago

                Fascinating! I’ve seen massive groups of ants before, and I’ve watched them because it’s just so cool to see. I never got down and tried to smell them, though.

                Now your comment has me thinking of my dad. He has an uncanny sense of smell far beyond what I have. There are some flowers I can’t smell unless I bend close to them, but which he can smell from across a field. I’ll have to check with him and see if he can smell ants.

    • AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      Depends. With North American formica ants, it’s formic acid, but with Canadian odorous house ants, it’s a methyl ketone that smells a lot like blue cheese.

  • jaybone@lemmy.zipEnglish
    32·
    2 months ago

    I think I can hear ants. People probably think I’m crazy. Like if you bend down and get your face really close to their trail. It’s like a buzzing sound. Like static on an old TV. Creepy as fuck.

    • 9blb@feddit.orgEnglish
      18·
      2 months ago

      Could it just be the reflections of ambient noise you also get when you hold your ear close to any surface? The old “If you hold a seashell to your ear, you can hear the ocean” kind of thing.

    • Loui@feddit.orgEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      I usually can’t but when hiking in fall we came to a big anthill and you could hear the leaves rustling below their little legs.

      I was so exited as I had never heard that before.

    • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      You’re the first person I’ve ever heard say you can hear buzzing sound of ants. I don’t doubt you, because why would you lie about something like that, but I would like to hear more people agree they can hear this and I want to read a scientific study.

      • BoosBeau@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        2 months ago

        That person is a liar!! I listen to ants all the time and the only sound they make is smooth jazz.

      • jaybone@lemmy.zipEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        I’m also terrified of having insects inside of the house. So it’s possible this is some kind of psychological reaction (?) rather than actually hearing them? But to me it “sounds” as I describe in the above post. Maybe someone can find something more scientific, like a study, I too would be curious.

  • childOfMagenta@jlai.luEnglish
    25·
    2 months ago

    Are we talking formic acid from crushed ants or just there is an ant around and they can smell it?

  • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.netEnglish
    22·
    2 months ago

    It smells so weird and strong. I’m surprised not everyone can smell this. I wonder how common this is?

    • BlueÆther@no.lastname.nzEnglish
      14·
      2 months ago

      Now I need to know what I’m missing out on… I know the smell of formic acid, and can smell it if andts are really pissed off - but do they just smell?

      • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.netEnglish
        17·
        2 months ago

        I usually only smell it after they are agitated. I assume that’s what they meant? But usually when I’m smelling ants they are agitated.

          • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.netEnglish
            7·
            2 months ago

            Most insects don’t have a strong odor. It’s all types of ants as far as I’ve noticed.

            With ants I typically notice it on my hands after I’ve touched them. So it’s strong enough to linger in that way.

    • Shelena@feddit.nlEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      I don’t know. This is the first time in my life I have ever heard about people smelling ants. I have a really good sense of smell normally, but I have never smelled ants. Never heard anybody say they could smell them either. So, I think it might be quite common.

    • notthebees@reddthat.comEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      I’m not exactly sure. My sense of smell has been shot since I got covid. It feels so weird. Some smells don’t exist, some are much stronger, some remained the same.

      One good example is burning anything while cooking.

      I can just feel it though. If I’m itchy while in my kitchen, 9/10 it’s ants (ground floor old apartment)

  • Digestive_Biscuit@feddit.ukEnglish
    21·
    2 months ago

    I never knew about this. Is this the same gene which makes people like/dislike bitter foods?

    Years ago at a place I worked at, food manufacturers, the R&D team did a taste workshop. 5 cups of flavours, salt, bitter, water, umami, sweet. The bitter one just tasted of water to me. They called it “bitter blind”

      • stylusmobilus@aussie.zoneEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        decay and loamy undergrowth

        That’s about the closest descriptor I can think of as well. Ants are more metallic to my scent than mushies but that’s it.

    • Klairabelle@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      2 months ago

      There’s a couple different chemical compounds that can activate your bitter receptors (caffeine for instance) but there are a few bitter chemicals like Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) or N-Propylthiouracil (PROP) that have been linked to variations in a specific gene (TAS2R38). Where I used to work we used PROP strips you’d just put on your tongue to categorize participants into tasters, non-tasters, and potential super-tasters. If it tasted like nothing, you didn’t have the genetic variant. If it tasted like bitterness, it could either be not that bad or, for example in my experience, it’s really really terrible and takes some effort to remove from the tongue.

  • sun_is_ra@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    13·
    2 months ago

    some ants when attacked do produce a small (probably by spraying chemicals that is supposed to paralyses/repel other small insects). that I can smell but I can’t smell an ant peacefully walking around.

    • infinitesunrise@slrpnk.netEnglish
      5·
      2 months ago

      Yes, beetles in general don’t smell great to me. They leave a fecal-like scent on my fingers when I hold them (Which I’ve always assumed is some sort of musk and not actual feces). I can smell ants too, but it’s only when they’re scared: They seem to release a chemical that smells to me like Windex the moment they realize they’re possibly in danger. I didn’t know that made me special, but I do know that others might not be able to smell it as I’ve had conversations about this with people who didn’t know wtf I was talking about. I’ve heard that it might be formic acid? Not sure.

      Funny because I don’t normally have a very sensitive nose. And I’m not a super-taster, cilantro tastes like cilantro to me (Fresh and herbally).

    • YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.todayEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      Yes! I’m not super sensitive to them, but one time in school I had one land on me and curiosity got the better of me. Never again!

    • 4shtonButcher@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      Not all of them do. I always thought of them as “good” and “bad” ladybugs. The bad ones stink. I have a feeling it correlates with lighter color. More orange than red. But this is purely anecdotal 😋

      • alt_xa_23@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        If you live in the US, the orange ones may be Asian lady beetles, an invasive species. They don’t smell great.

        The ones that come into your home in the winter are probably Asian lady beetles, as true ladybugs overwinter outside.

  • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    2 months ago

    Some people can smell ants. Some people can smell Parkinson’s disease.

    I don’t think I can smell either of those but I can smell B.O.

  • Etterra@discuss.onlineEnglish
    9·
    2 months ago

    I’m not surprised to learn this, given that there are certain tastes that are generic. The “cilantro tastes like soap” mutation, and the “bitter vegetables are good actually” mutation come to mind.