What would this smell like?

[Green Xenon]

Hi:

 

I posted something similar in the past. I apologize profusely if anyone is annoyed by what might seem like a repetition of that post. However, if you read carefully, you’ll clearly notice some significant differences.

 

My favorite bacteria are:

 

1. Not gram-negative

2. Free of lipopolysaccharide

3. Non-pathogenic

4. Non-toxic

5. Non-allergenic

 

In terms of respiration, they are any one of the following:

 

1. Facultative-anaerobes [can use oxygen but don't need it]

2. Obligate anaerobes [can only survive in total or near-total absence of oxygen]

3. Aerotolerant-anaerobes [can survive in oxygen but don't use it for respiration or otherwise require it].

 

Let’s say the following Sci-Fi scenario occurs:

 

A sample of fresh, raw, annatto-free, preservative-free, carrageen-free, carrageenan-free, polysorbate-free, purely-natural, disease-free, completely-organic milk of a healthy happy Jersey cow [who grazes solely on natural, organic, healthy, pesticide-free pasture] is gently pumped into a hypothetical container that is eco-friendly, healthy-friendly, oxygen-free, air-tight, vibration-proof and does not let in any light of any wavelength when closed. The tubes connecting the cow’s udder to the container are also light-proof [tubes don’t let in light of any wavelength], eco-friendly, healthy-friendly, oxygen-free, air-tight, and vibration-proof.

 

At no point does any foreign object other than “my favorite bacteria” enter the milk. This is true even when the milk is in the cow’s udder. Even the skin of the cow’s udder is somehow completely free of any foreign substances other than “my favorite bacteria”.

 

In addition, the fat of this milk is magically-protected against any rancidity. In fact all molecules in the milk are completely rancidity-proof.

 

After the milk is pumped into the container, my favorite bacteria decompose this milk as completely as possible. They are able to do so because any lactic acid and carbon dioxide molecules [toxic by-products of metabolism] completely disappear [by magic] just as they are generated.

 

What will be the end product smell like? Remember, this milk is invincible to all forms of degradation except the decomposition and “aging” [or ripening] by my favorite bacteria. Because the lactic acid disappears as it is being produced, the milk does not curdle. My favorite bacteria can thus continue to eat the milk and spit out waste products until the decay is complete. To make matters more interesting, the bacteria are invincible to the otherwise toxic effects of the waste they produce.

 

My guess is that the end product will smell like extremely stale cheese. Am I on the right track?

 

 

Thanks,

 

Green Xenon

Edited September 11, 2010 by Green Xenon

[jake.com]

Hi:

 

I posted something similar in the past. I apologize profusely if anyone is annoyed by what might seem like a repetition of that post. However, if you read carefully, you’ll clearly notice some significant differences.

 

My favorite bacteria are:

 

1. Not gram-negative

2. Free of lipopolysaccharide

3. Non-pathogenic

4. Non-toxic

5. Non-allergenic

 

In terms of respiration, they are any one of the following:

 

1. Facultative-anaerobes [can use oxygen but don't need it]

2. Obligate anaerobes [can only survive in total or near-total absence of oxygen]

3. Aerotolerant-anaerobes [can survive in oxygen but don't use it for respiration or otherwise require it].

 

Let’s say the following Sci-Fi scenario occurs:

 

A sample of fresh, raw, annatto-free, preservative-free, carrageen-free, carrageenan-free, polysorbate-free, purely-natural, disease-free, completely-organic milk of a healthy happy Jersey cow [who grazes solely on natural, organic, healthy, pesticide-free pasture] is gently pumped into a hypothetical container that is eco-friendly, healthy-friendly, oxygen-free, air-tight, vibration-proof and does not let in any light of any wavelength when closed. The tubes connecting the cow’s udder to the container are also light-proof [tubes don’t let in light of any wavelength], eco-friendly, healthy-friendly, oxygen-free, air-tight, and vibration-proof.

 

At no point does any foreign object other than “my favorite bacteria” enter the milk. This is true even when the milk is in the cow’s udder. Even the skin of the cow’s udder is somehow completely free of any foreign substances other than “my favorite bacteria”.

 

In addition, the fat of this milk is magically-protected against any rancidity. In fact all molecules in the milk are completely rancidity-proof.

 

After the milk is pumped into the container, my favorite bacteria decompose this milk as completely as possible. They are able to do so because any lactic acid and carbon dioxide molecules [toxic by-products of metabolism] completely disappear [by magic] just as they are generated.

 

What will be the end product smell like? Remember, this milk is invincible to all forms of degradation except the decomposition and “aging” [or ripening] by my favorite bacteria. Because the lactic acid disappears as it is being produced, the milk does not curdle. My favorite bacteria can thus continue to eat the milk and spit out waste products until the decay is complete. To make matters more interesting, the bacteria are invincible to the otherwise toxic effects of the waste they produce.

 

My guess is that the end product will smell like extremely stale cheese. Am I on the right track?

 

 

Thanks,

 

Green Xenon

well. This is an interesting scenario. I would have to say... that it would smell like the smell of the bacteria. If all the waste is expelled by "magic" as it's produced, and this bacteria decomposes the milk completely, including the proteins and lipids, then that leaves nothing behind except bacteria. Taking your experiment at face value, that should be the answer.

[insane_alien]

we don't know what magic smells like.

[Moontanman]

I would guess excrement would be the closest smell....

[John Cuthber]

Since you say "My favorite bacteria can thus continue to eat the milk and spit out waste products" the product would smell of those waste products.

Feel free to invent any you like, but don't pretend it has anything to do with science.

[jake.com]

Since you say "My favorite bacteria can thus continue to eat the milk and spit out waste products" the product would smell of those waste products.

Feel free to invent any you like, but don't pretend it has anything to do with science.

but do to non science "magic," the waste products disappear. So i assume that they aren't factored into the equation.