The wonderful world ofStar Trekis filled to the brim with little universe-building nuances that brings each and every alien race and culture to life. The shows have introduceddistinctly iconic spaceshipsand technology, complex socio-political landscaping, but also various unique biological features. Some of these are obvious, likethe Ferengi and their problematically large ears, or Klingons and their distinctive forehead ridges. However, others are more subtle, like the apparent stench that humans give off to Vulcans. It has become something of a subtle joke throughout the franchise, but what exactly are the reasons Vulcans think humans smell so bad?
As touched on already, a large element of this is biology; specifically, the superior Vulcan sense of smell. Vulcans are sort of like super humans (for want of a better word) and many of their characteristics are heightened above those of other races.Despite their drive towards logic over violence, and living a relatively pacifistic lifestyle, they possess super strength,able to take down even a mighty Klingon warrior in a test of raw power. They also have superior senses, like a great sense of hearing and heightened levels of smell. This superior smelling ability would make many non-Vulcans smell bad to them. Vulcans are able to pick up normally undetectable perspiration or other bodily odors, things that would usually be covered up by perfumes or deodorants. A Vulcan’s keen nose can smell through all these masks, and unless a human were to seriously scrub in the sonic shower, it’s unlikely they would get rid of all traces of these smells.
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While it may seem unfair to judge a human by even a slight amount of perspiration, it’s important to remember that this is something uncommon for Vulcans. Within human society, it’s possible to ignore certain smells that are natural to everyone, like respectable amounts of BO. Most people have adapted to ignore these due to regular exposure.Vulcans, however, are noted to not sweat— except when they are going through Pon Farr — as their home world is a hot and arid place. Having evolved to withstand these desert climates, Vulcans have adapted to retain as much moisture as possible, keeping it all within their bodies to help them survive longer.
For humans, the process of sweating actually helps cool the body down. Vulcans, however, have evolved an incredibly efficient internal cooling process that negates the need to lose large quantities of moisture. For them, sweating is not a natural process, and they have not quite adapted to deal with the unfortunately smelly consequences. But throughout the shows, it is shown with prolonged exposure, they grow accustomed to it, and it eventually bothers them much less than it did at first.
While this is the most prominent reason Vulcans think humans smell, the reason they specifically think they smell bad is primarily due to the difference in culture. Vulcans arepretty exclusively vegetarian. While the canon can get a bit loose on what they eat specifically, they not only refuse to consume animal protein, but they use a very limited palette of flavors and seasonings. This may be down to a heightened sense of taste, not needing to dowse each meal with salt, pepper, herbs or spices like humans and other races do. But for whatever reason, the result is the same: primarily ill-seasoned food (with the exception of plomeek soup, a notably spicy meal). All this lack of meat and seasoning results in a distinctive lack of smell, at least in comparison to those who consume a lot of those substances, like humans. The oily, often pungent aroma on their breath and in their sweat will attack Vulcan nostrils at every opportunity.
While this may seem fairly specific to the Vulcans and their heightened sense of smell, it’s actually a common occurrence within human society, and does not even require super human noses. Historically, there have been many examples of different cultures picking up on food smells on others. For example, in the early 1600s, the Japanese (who were largely vegetarians, or at least the majority of their lower class citizens were) started encountering meat-eating Europeans. They notably thought that these foreigners smelled terrible as a result.
While these are the top reasons, there is another, slightly more ominous reason behind the apparent stench humans give off. WhileVulcans have their fair share of historical conquering, and being the apex warriors dominating over others, it has been a very long time since they have partaken in such activities. They are a peaceful race that despises all forms of violence towards others, at least generally speaking. The humans of theStar Trekuniverse, however, have a much more recent history of violence. Whilethe utopian vision of humanity is one of kindness and peace, there is still the dark cloak of being predators around their shoulders, and predators often give off a very specific ammonia-like scent. This scent is completely undetectable by humans, but it can be picked up by other predators like dogs. It is a genetic element to human biology that, while not relevant now (let alone in a few hundred years), is still present.
The Vulcans could be seen as prey due to their societal values, a non-confrontational race of people who have evolved past violence despite their superior strength. As such, it’s possible that they could unconsciously pick up on humans' predator scent and instantly feel threatened or uncomfortable, despite all forms of logic telling them otherwise. This is very much a hypothesis, but it aligns perfectly with the lessonsStar Trektries to teach: that humans can always be a threat.
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