Why does the human memory for smell last longer than other memories?

Its not just childhood, as people are saying its most likely and evolutaionary trait. If you were a cave man and one day you smelled sulfur, and then all of the sudden a a mountain or gyeser erupted and almost killed you dont you think its a great thing that if 15 years later you smell sulfur so you remember that time and become cautious? I do

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

But, wouldn't your visual memory of the event suffice?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Like you said smell is the strongest sense tied to memory, and there are many times when you can smell something before you can see it, I cant see sulfur in the air can you?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

But sulfur can't travel at the speed of light, can it?

 

what the hell does that have to do with anything ?

 

back in the old days.. there were trees and foliage and all that.. you wouldnt have been able to see like we can now since we have chopped everything down.. so scent was a good indicator of what might be lurking... so you smell something.. it links up to a visual memory you have coupled with it and now you know if you need to bolt it or not. if something wanted to beat you down for a feed .. then by the time you see it its probably too late..

real budget explanation of what im thinking.. sleep deprived.

 

But wouldn't hearing be better than scent?

 

can you hear sulfur!?!?!?!?!??!!?!?!?!?? Can you hear Smoke?

 

they go hand in hand.. but i guess scents are more discernable from one another than noises.. mammals smell good.. we got useless

 

So if our noses suck, than why the great nasal memory?

 

Here he goes off subject again.

 

I didnt see that comming!

 

Smell is the brain's oldest sense, and is directly responsible for taste and allows the human mind to tie directly in to memories from long ago.

My dad lost his sense of smell years ago due to aneurysm, and can no longer distinguish chocolate ice cream from vanilla. He can tell the difference between sweet, sour, salt, and bitter, but not flavor. That's gotta suck!

 

My dad lost his sense of smell too, because of a brain tumor! man did that help me when I was in highschool :m:

 

So, it's got a hotline to the brain?

 

did you not read my post? smell is the only sense to not pass through the Thalamus ( your sensory switchboard) so yes yes it does

 

Yes, but Learned Hand has more credibility than you, which is a very sad statement.

 

He agrees with me , why dont you read everyones posts instead of jsut the ones you want to read...that would be effing great

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

You can agree with a Nobel prize winner, but that doesn't make you worthy of an award.

 

ewe Mr. smarty Mc doesnt know anything about the functionas of the brain.


I think you should get a nobel prize...or even better maybe youll off yourself in some idiotic way and recieve a Darwin award, that would make me smile