What Makes Skunks Stink?

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In this video, I discuss the chemistry of skunk spray! This video was sponsored by Brilliant.

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Links to articles discussed in this episode:
Info for skunk spray frequency and volume - https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/7b9179c0-34e1-4b34-8309-145a71f238fe/resource/c20c0e5e-299b-4b87-810d-363d3be92642/download/2016-agri-facts-biology-and-control-of-skunks-agdex-684-5-revised-december-2016.pdf
Comment on skunk behavior -https://parade.com/664736/marilynvossavant/do-skunks-spray-other-skunks/#:~:text=And%20as%20they%20rarely%20feel,and%20he%20slinks%20away%2C%20offended.
Skunk history & volatiles paper - https://www.doi.org/10.1007/s00897990286a
Other Skunk volatile paper - https://www.doi.org/10.1023/A:1020573404341
Comment about skunk musk - https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12717282-900-science-the-seven-deadly-smells-of-a-skunk/
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0:00 Introduction
0:07 Spooky Skunk Info Skunks can spray up to 4-5 meters
1:47 Skunks Stink . The bad smell that skunks have primarily come from 2 thiols
3:19 Thioester Hydrolysis Mechanism . In this example, the nucleophile could be lots of possible things - amino acid residues in the skin/hair or water for example
5:10 Conjecture About Smell Persistence
6:13 Removing The Smell
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