Why does the air smell and feel so good after a spring rain shower? It was that way this morning, so I thought to ask the person who has the answers to the really tough questions of life. –Thomas Vastine, Villa Park, Illinois
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Tough is right, buddyroo–what you’re innocently asking me to do is jump feet first into the dread negative ion controversy, which has been raging off and on for more than 30 years. According to true believers–Ionists, we call them–the reason the air feels so good after a rain shower is that there’s an abundance of negative ions floating around. Negative ions are air particles (mostly CO2) that have an extra electron and thus a negative electrical charge. They’re also created by waterfalls, another well-known source of good vibes. But how or even if they can really brighten your mood has never been satisfactorily determined.
A lot of scientists, however, say ion generators are a waste of money. They recall the 1950s, when unscrupulous promoters claimed negative ion generators would cure cancer, emphysema, and just about everything except the heartbreak of psoriasis. There was no evidence to support these claims and the Food and Drug Administration eventually forced most of the sharpies out of business.
