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The natural gas that fuels our furnaces, water heaters, and gas stoves is naturally odorless. But it’s also highly flammable and dangerous, so sulfur is added to it to give it a distinctive odor, in case of leaks. My dad taught me early in my life to pay attention and tell an adult if I smelled gas.
When I grew up, I learned the gas company wanted us to report the smell of leaking gas to them immediately, so they could avert a potentially deadly catastrophe. They were confident. I never questioned their authority, especially because they said the same thing my dad did, and he was a trusted source.
I think it’s normal to respect people we trust or people we don’t know who speak with confidence. We’re inclined to believe they know what they’re talking about, and the speaker I was listening to recently was almost stridently confident. But when I heard the insistent Karoline Leavitt say:
Continue reading “What’s That Smell? Or, Never Ignore the Smell of Leaking Gas”
Space, Time, and Raspberries 
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