The first, vanillin, is a synthetic vanilla extract devised by German scientists in the 19th century that became an important ingredient in what is widely regarded as the first modern perfume: Guerlain’s Jicky. Two other diffusers dispense Calone, a popular perfume ingredient devised in 1951 that evokes marine qualities with undertones of melon (think commercial “ocean breeze” products), and Flowerpool, an antiseptic scent that was trademarked this year — and is a smell truly worthy of a pandemic.

— The smells at artist Florian Hecker's “Resynthesizers” show at the Fitzpatrick-Leland House in the Hollywood Hills. Read more in Smell and sound: Artist Florian Hecker turns a historic Schindler home into a sensory experience at the Los Angeles Times.