100 Things: Every Designer Needs to Know About People

75. Smells Evoke Emotions and Memories

Do you have a type of food that evokes an emotional reaction when you smell it? For me it’s kasha. Kasha is a form of buckwheat. The buckwheat kernels come roasted, and you cook them in oil and then boil them with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic. I’ve met very few people who have actually eaten kasha, much less know what kasha is.

When I smell kasha cooking, I get a big smile on my face and I feel happy. This is because my mother used to cook kasha. I have a positive emotional memory of her when I smell kasha cooking.

The Special Olfactory Path

The thalamus is the part of the brain between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain. One of its functions is to process sensory information and send it to the appropriate ...