To be able to detect odorous molecules, the cells of the mucous membrane of the nose transform into nerve impulses that can be interpreted by the brain, which classifies them by making positive or negative associations. Olfactory memory accompanies us throughout life, explains neuroscientist Hirac Gurden in his book “Smell”.
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Journalist at the Society department
By Anne-Sophie LeurquinPublished on 6/06/2024 at 1:21 p.m.
Reading time: 1 min
L“Smells are emotional links between past and present”, underlines with very Proustian accents the neuroscientist Hirac Gurden, in the introduction to his book Feel (The arenas). A vector of emotions, disgust or immediate pleasure which has the capacity to allow time travel, smell also alerts us to dangers. Directly linked to the brain, the olfactory system is subtle and complex, intimately linked to life from the maternal womb. In this very accessible volume illustrated by Camille Van Belle, the director of neuroscience research at the CNRS gives the keys to better understanding this little-known sense even though it is the most instinctive.
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