perfume and the pandora problem
We live in an age of superspecialization; it’s been said many times and I’m gonna say it again. My favorite example of this phenomenon is Pandora , the online radio station, which allows one to suggest one’s favorite song, then produces the songs and albums its special generator thinks you might like. If you don’t like the suggestions, give it a thumbs down—it’ll recalibrate and try to find the exact right thing for your tastes and expectations. So far so good, right? You get exactly what you want for your mood, and discover new artists in the process, right? The problem, in my eyes, lies in the fact that a person could listen to nothing but artists who all have something in common with David Bowie , for example, and never come into contact with any other genres or music al ideas, for the rest of her life. New music is always coming out, and she can just specialize in that niche. The same trend holds true for perfume. New fragrances are always being launched, in every cat