Why Are Smells so Good at Triggering Memories?

Why Are Smells so Good at Triggering Memories?

Smells are really good at stirring up memories, especially ones from adolescence. Which is curious, because these memories are often the hardest to access. In the latest episode of SciShow, Hank Green reviews some of the research on why smells are such potent triggers of early memories.

“Smells tend to evoke early, perceptive memories of events, not concepts,” says Green. “So the scent of glue might make you remember playing with construction paper in Kindergarten, but your smell memory will not help you memorize Maxwell’s equations.” Perhaps, this may also explains why scent-based memories tend to be so visceral.