REVOVOT, ISRAEL-- Poets and scientists both have long understood that our sense of smell is a strong trigger for memories. New research suggests that our brains are wired so that the original smells associated with a given experience are given preferential treatment.
Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Revovot, Israel, under the direction of Yaara Yeshurun have conducted experiments with magnetic resonance imaging on the relationship between scent and memory:
Yeshurun concludes that the brain reserves a special pattern of activity for memories that represent the first time we have associated a smell with a particular thing – and that such pairings are most likely to be laid down in childhood.
The brain may have evolved to lay down these privileged memories because it enhanced our ability to sense danger. "This is especially true for unpleasant odours," says Yeshurun.
(via New Scientist)
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