Comments on: Why Wool is Warm and Snowflakes Aren't Always Pretty

By: Geack

Geack — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:10:11 +0000

@9. TRJc – Ask any spring rafting guide, and they’ll tell you for wet insulation, you want wool. The explanation I’ve heard is that the fibers don’t absorb water and mat together the way cotton or many synthetics do, plus they’re more resilient. So they stay puffier when wet than other fibers, preserving the airspaces mentioned in the article and maintaining the insulating air layer better. There may be some synthetics that mimic this.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:24:24 +0000

Cold air does have a smell to it, although some people don’t seem to get it when I say it smells cold.

By: kik

kik — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:28:42 +0000

can any one explain ..which gas causes that foul smell (4rm socks)?????????

By: TRJc

TRJc — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:39:52 +0000

Good explaination of why dry wool socks keep your feet warm. What fabric, as socks, does the best keeping feet warm when the socks are wet, and why?

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:48:16 +0000

I thought cold air had a smell because cold fronts came from the north, in my case, the mountains, but that could be wrong. Perhaps it smells crisper because it is drier. And it is the reaction of the nose to the dry air that gives cold air a feeling as well as a smell.

By: Iain

Iain — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:56:12 +0000

Living in the great white north, I’ve often smelled that clean crisp air that tells you (via the nose) that snow is on the way. I’ve always thought that was the smell of clean air, since it comes from the even greater, whiter than white North (Arctic). Not even contaminated (much) by organics from the biosphere.

By: John Lerch

John Lerch — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:47:54 +0000

re the smell of cold air. I presume he means the smell we used to call Canadian air. I have guessed that it is ozonated air due to the friction of ice crystals against each other.

By: Tomek

Tomek — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:44:58 +0000

Regardless, that looks to be a quote from scientific america. Or, from a researcher quoted in scientific america. In the case of the former, thats semi-bad (I would try to avoid it..), in the case of the latter, that’s completely natural in casual speech.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:05:19 +0000

“tons” is a VERY WELL KNOWN figure of speech, George.

And learn how to spell your own name, you immature twit.

By: Georg

Georg — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:07:03 +0000

“”crisscrossed woolen fibers create tons of little air pockets.”"

Tons!
Btw a liter of air is about one gram.
ROFL