There’s something quite refreshing about inhaling the scent of rain, especially after a dry spell. Humans usually associate it with happiness, but tasting a drop of rain is usually met with disgust. So what exactly is rain and how does it affect our senses?

It’s called Geosmin, a bacterial byproduct that contains alcohol and terpenoids. That’s the technical way of saying it smells like dirt, beets, and codfish.

Learn about the different ways that humans take in scent, and why we’re so highly sensitive to rain.