This has been an enduring mystery of human experience. Nearly everyone has been transported by a whiff of an odor to another time and place, an experience that sights or sounds rarely evoke. Yet, we haven't known why. The study found the olfactory parts of the brain connect more strongly to the memory parts than other senses. This is a major piece of the puzzle, a striking finding in humans. We believe our results will help future research solve this mystery.

— Christina Zelano on new research done by a team at the Northwestern Human Neuroscience Lab. Read more in Why Smells and Memories Are So Strongly Linked in Our Brains at Psychology Today.