To paraphrase Emily Dickinson, the nose wants what it wants. And some noses want the smell of unusual odors.

Or to radically quote Outkast out of context, don’t everybody like the smell of gasoline?

Why is that fossil fuel so aromatic to many people? That’s the question Reddit user portnow posted in the Explain Like I’m 5 community: Why are humans attracted to the smell of gasoline and other chemicals even though they’re deadly to us?

The simple first-grader answer: Blame it on the benzene.

This colorless and highly flammable organic chemical is produced naturally in volcanoes and forest fires and by humans through oil production and cigarette smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It’s one of the top 20 chemicals produced in the United States, used in plastics, adhesives, paint, cleaners, and other products. Benzene was even used in aftershave lotion and decaffeinated coffee, such as Sanka, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries before its health risks were known.

Oh yes, because nature is needlessly cruel and hates humans for allowing Rob Schneider to make movies, benzene is not only responsible for gasoline’s arguably sweet smell but also some of its dangerous properties. The CDC warns that extended exposure to benzene can lead to anemia, damage the immune system, and even cause cancer. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration alerted the public in 2006 about unsafe benzene levels accidentally created in some soft drinks.

As the above video mentions, there are psychological factors involved in some people’s olfactory response to gas, something commenters such as Reddit user contemplationnation alluded to:

“Gasoline can have positive associations, and any of our 5 senses can become linked with good or bad associations (think pavlov’s dog). We smell gas burning in summer BBQs, when we fill up our cars on road trips, when we go boating or ride motorcycles, etc.”

Studies have shown that a scent or an odor can create a powerful associations between a person and an event or experience. That helps explain why a whiff of gasoline can get some people’s motors running while it makes others’ stall.