I’ve always been intrigued by how scent is so...

I’ve always been intrigued by how scent is so closely linked to memory. A random whiff in the air can suddenly bring to mind the freshly laundered clothes of someone you loved. Ikea wouldn’t be Ikea without its new furniture smells. Sniffing freshly baked bread can take me back to childhood days visiting the neighbourhood bakery with my mum. It’s true, nothing triggers nostalgia and memory quite like our nose.

Which is why I enjoyed Scents and Sensibilities: The Invisible Language of Smell, one of the talks at the World Science Festival 2011. It’s funny, fascinating, and covers many different facets of our undervalued olfactory organ. I only wish there was an accessible, reliable way to bottle up the smells I want to remember.