I never thought about this: We remember history through artefacts, written and audiovisual documents, but never through smell. This makes sense — odour is hard to preserve over time — but is also somewhat ironic, since smell is the one human sense that most instantly triggers memories. Some interesting reflections on how we «deprive ourselves of connecting with humanity’s past by focusing on materials stripped of their sensory dimensions» — and how a new research project wants to change that.

From Weekly Filet #330, in January 2021.