The brain that smells
- Wed, Oct 14
- CaixaForum Palma
In this interactive talk we explore the fascinating world of smell — perhaps the most mysterious of our senses. Have you ever wondered why certain scents can transport you instantly to a specific moment in your life? We will discover how smell not only lets us perceive, distinguish and remember odours, but also how it is deeply linked to our emotions and memories. Throughout the talk we will see how the brain processes smells, why some fragrances trigger immediate reactions, and how this sense has been crucial in animal evolution and human communication. We will also address the emotional power of smell: did you know that, in many cases, odours can influence our decisions and even our personal relationships without us noticing? In this dynamic talk, shaped as an open conversation, we will hear from two specialists in neuroscience and “olfactologists”, and run sensory activities where the audience can discover how we often “forget” smells in daily life — and how this sense can be a door to a world of forgotten memories. Laura López-Mascaraque: neuroscientist, director of the Neural Lineages and Heterogeneity laboratory at the Cajal Institute–CNC in Madrid (CSIC) and current preside…