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Why can one smell bring back a forgotten moment?

Freshly cut grass or a campfire can make an old moment feel suddenly close. Research comparing sensory memory cues asks what is special about that feeling: the emotion, the details recalled, or the sense of being back there. A powerful recollection still needs to be distinguished from an accurate one.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • How could researchers compare the same memory cue as a smell, an image, and a sound?

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Can a question change what someone remembers?

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