1777 Distinctly Old

I read an interesting little scientific snippet the other day. It was one of those that confirmed what we know already from experience. Sad when so many dollars of scientific research are spent proving what we already know, but hey, sometimes it's for the good.
Remember when doctors recommended cigarettes?
This factoid was about old people. As I have an elderly person in my life, my aging and Alzheimer's addled father, and have noticed certain things about him, I found the article all the more fascinating.
Not long ago he watched a movie that was sad and made him cry. Except, because his memory is not so good, when he rubbed his eyes and found them wet, he said, "That movie must've had smoke in it."
A logical conclusion based on a faulty premise. Our brain doesn't grow old so much as have its files corrupted.
The article I read demonstrated proof positive that there is something known as "old people smell." Surprisingly, it's not from undepended accidents. It's their basic default odor.
The researchers took volunteers in three age groups 20-30, 40-55, and 75-90, and had them wear a t-shirt to bed for 5 nights. Then they presented those t-shirts to another group of volunteers to smell.
I think I would have been one of the "wearing" volunteers.
Young and male enscented t-shirts were rated as most odiferous over females of their respective age groups, but all seniors generally were rated least offensive, regardless of gender.
Researchers theorize hormones, or lack of them, are the reason. Older folks go back to prepubescent levels. Or perhaps I should say prepubes-scent? Interestingly when asked to identify the origin of t-shirts the volunteers were almost always able to recognize the senior smell.
It was identified as most dis-stink-tive.
America, ya gotta love it.