[link] Nostalgic Noses

One of the reasons why I have been so fascinated by the sense of smell is the power to transport us back in time, having a specific event flashes right in front of me only from one whiff of a scent.

In this article by Scientific American, they scientifically explain how smells are strongly associated with important memories, like fresh-baked cookies and Christmas.

By looking at the structure of the brain, researchers have found that olfactory (smell) information takes a different path through the brain than input from the other senses. Most sensory information has to first go through a region called the thalamus before being interpreted by the other specialized parts of the brain. The thalamus receives input from many sources and then directs it to the right part of the brain. Scientists often consider this the step when a person becomes consciously aware of something.

When it comes to smells, the olfactory information actually passes through the olfactory memory and processing parts of the brain first. That means that we are actually processing the content and memory of a smell before we are consciously figuring out what that smell is.

This smell center of the brain, the olfactory cortex, is also strongly connected with two other areas of the brain: the limbic system and the amygdala. Both of these areas play strong roles in the emotional components of how memories are created and retrieved.

Read the full article: It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas: The Neuroscience of Our Nostalgia

Merry Christmas!

[link] Aromajoin: The Resurrection of Smell-O-Vision?

When I was a little I used to watch an American cooking TV programme called "Wok With Yan" and I remember that at that time I wished that I could smell his cooking as he stirred all those deliciously-looking ingredients in his wok. I even went closer to the TV set and sniff the speakers, imagining that the smells would have been emitted from there.

And it seems that I am not alone.

South Korean entrepreneur Dong Wook Kim is developing a startup technology called "Aromajoin", a smell projection that accompany video. Aromajoin has "aroma shooters", scent cartridges of smell molecules. These cartridges can spray smells for three seconds, and they are up for 45,000 uses.

Aroma Shooters (photo from Tech in Asia)

These Aroma Shooters can also mix up to six different scents, and the smells don't really linger after they're triggered - sounds awesome, right?

So maybe this is the resurrection time for Smell-o-Vision, and one day I can go to the cinemas and sniff scents that are sprayed from the Aroma Shooters strapped to our seats. It said that they can shoot about 60-80 cm range, so they can be used for personal uses too, like telly and installation videos in museums.

I wish the best of luck for Mr. Kim, and I really like his ultimate goal as quoted in this article by Tech in Asia.

Media is only images and sound, maybe slightly tactile like vibration on a smartphone. We want to change media. We want to watch TV with an accompanying smell. We want computers and smartphones to provide aroma feedback.

Read the full articles here:
TV set that emits smells? This startup has what it takes to make it happen
http://www.popsci.com/startup-makes-2550-scent-emitting-televisions