Why are smells stronger memory triggers than sight or sound? Your Nose Has Secrets!

Описание: Have you ever smelled something and suddenly felt like you were six years old again?

In this episode of Brains Gone Bold, Maria and Jeanine sit down with scent scientist Dr. Rachel Herz to explore something we all have… but rarely think about - our sense of smell.

They dive into why the smell of popcorn can take you straight back to a childhood movie, why your high school boyfriend’s cologne can mean three totally different things over time, and why losing your sense of smell can deeply impact your mental health.

Dr. Herz explains something that might blow your mind: “Taste is only sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Everything else is smell.” Yes - bacon and potato chips both “taste” salty. Your nose is mainly responsible for telling you which is which.

They also unpack:
Why lavender isn’t magically calming for everyone
How those with depression often have a diminished sense of smell
Why two people can hate and love the same scent
How to build your own “personal apothecary”
And why actively sniffing each day is actually brain healthy

One big takeaway?
We don’t realize how much smell shapes our emotions, memories, relationships, and even our sense of self - until it’s gone.
By the end, you’ll want to stop and smell the roses a lot more.
Tune in. You’ll never experience scent the same way again!

About the Guest
Dr. Rachel Herz is a neuroscientist and world-renowned expert on the science of smell. She studies the powerful (and often surprising) connection between scent, memory, emotion, and human behavior. She has shared her work on multiple TED or TEDx stages, as well as in her books entitled Why You Eat What You Eat, That’s Disgusting, and The Scent of Desire. She is a valued consultant to international corporations, an entrepreneur, and serves on the faculty at Brown University. Most recently, she is the newly-elected President of the International Society of Neurogastronomy.
Learn more about her fascinating work here: https://rachelherz.com/
Be sure to check out her book: Why You Eat What You Eat on Amazon