The Paul Revere House (@paulreverehouse.bsky.social)

Why some people say they can still smell Boston's Great Molasses Flood A deadly flood of molasses almost sounds like a joke. But the story of the Great Molasses Flood is true. It devastated a community of Italian immigrants living in Boston’s North End, who then fought to establish safety laws we now take for granted. Curiosity Desk Host Edgar B. Herwick III takes us on a journey from the heart of Boston’s Italian community to the labs of olfactory experts to find the answer to this lingering question: 100 years later, can you still smell the remnants of the Great Molasses Flood in Boston’s North End? 0:00 This is The Curiosity Desk! 1:10 Ahh, molasses... 3:07 Boston's Historic North End 5:45 "You're never alone when you're here" 7:25 The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 9:47 A resilient community 12:15 Keeping memories alive 14:31 Fact or folklore? 15:31 The science of smell 22:31 Closing arguments 25:33 "Wow, those things really did happen" 27:05 Credits 27:58 Take our YouTube survey! For more on the chemistry behind molasses, including a breakdown of the fluid dynamics of the Great Molasses Flood, check out this episode of "Untold" from our friends at PBS Digital Studios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMPGm3OSvMg Check out these related videos from GBH's Forum Network: -Molasses: From the Slave Trade to the Great Flood: https://www.wgbh.org/forum-network/lectures/the-great-molasses-flood-revisited-immigrants-in-an-industrial-accident -The Great Molasses Flood: Misremembered Molasses: https://www.wgbh.org/forum-network/lectures/the-great-molasses-flood-misremembered-molasses -The Great Molasses Flood Revisited: Labor and the Molasses Flood: https://www.wgbh.org/forum-network/lectures/the-great-molasses-flood-revisited-labor-and-the-molasses-flood GBH News wants to hear from YOU! We are conducting our annual audience survey 📝 https://bit.ly/3ZQXSQr. This will help us understand your interests and what you want to see more of from us. It only takes a few minutes, and we are grateful for your input. 🙌 GBH News is a premier source for in-depth local news and original story telling based in Boston, Massachusetts. Subscribe to the GBH News YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/gbhnews?sub_confirmation=1 Subscribe to our GBH Daily newsletter at https://www.wgbh.org/daily Follow GBH News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gbhnews/ Like GBH News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gbhnews/ Follow GBH News on X: https://twitter.com/GBHNews Visit our website: https://www.wgbh.org/news GBH News is public media, inspired by and made for the public. GBH and public media stations across the country are under threat. You can help. Your support matters. Donate today: https://bit.ly/SupportGBHNews https://bit.ly/45cdoIO