It reminds me of this blog [1] where a chemist is essentially listing many terrifyingly explosive (One notably will "vigorously" react at 100K), corrosive, or smelly things he's read about in the literature. Well written and entertaining :)<p>[1] pipeline.corante.com/archives/things_i_wont_work_with/
I'm just reading Ignition! <a href="http://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/ignition.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://library.sciencemadness.org/library/books/ignition.pdf</a> about the development of rocket propellants; a very technical and interesting chemistry book.<p>At one time the author experimented with mercaptans and got similar reactions from his labmates ;-)
<i>"But I never encountered anything as nauseating or alien like PhePHMe"</i><p>(There are unfortunate coincidences in names ...)<p>Other branches of science/engineering may feel olfactorily deprived, never getting in their labs past the occasional smell of ozone, overheated oil/metal/plastic, etc.
I want to smell that.<p>Thanks to the OP for bringing back fond memories of my chemistry days. Color shifts and weird smells were <i>the shit</i> back then. :)