9 Science Facts To Make Your Day

2. Astronauts Took Roses To Space Just To See If They Smelt Different

There are all kinds of ongoing studies into the effects of space, spaceflight and zero-gravity on humans and machines, but back in 1998, the company International Flavors & Fragrances decided to make things a bit more floral.

The sweet scent of roses is caused by the volatile oils that they produce and the interaction of the molecules with our olfactory receptors. Researchers wondered whether the microgravity environment of space would cause these molecules to behave differently and, more to the point, could we produce a completely new "space rose" smell.

As it turns out, they were right, roses in space do smell different. The scent molecules collected from the rose were completely different to on Earth, and the fragrance was described as "more floral" and, well, rosier. The scent was even supposedly included in a Japanese perfume call "Zen".