Is there any way we could "see" smells?

I was thinking about making up a visor like Batman has in the Arkham series, where he "analyzes" a sample and then he can set a filter on his visor for particles of that compound.

Something like analyzing ambient light and the way that light refracts when passing through that certain compound would be a way for example (I'm not saying that this is a thing that's possible though). Is there any way we could tell a part of a room that has an open bottle of liquor vs a part where there are mothballs.

Additional info (ask about anything you think is relevant, I'll add it here):

• Funding of the device is not an issue, assume infinite funds.
• Size of the device is also not an issue, I'm asking about the possibility of it, not applicability. (So, doesn't have to be a visor.)

posted about 7 years ago

John Hamilton‭

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