1. How are the brain and olfactory bulb connected?
The olfactory bulb is a part of the brain. It has connections to many different parts of the brain. Among these connections are the amygdala, which is involved in emotion, and the hypothalamus, which has functions such as feeding that are critical to survival.

2. How does memory work?
Memory works in lots of ways! Whenever you are able to do something or think something that you did or thought before, you are remembering it. One important aspect of memory is retrieval, which is the process of bringing a memory out of long-term storage in order to actively think about it. Retrieval depends on cues, which can come in a lot of forms. Sometimes it's easier to remember something if you're in the same room as you were when you first experienced it. Smell can be a powerful cue that can help people retrieve memories.

3. How much of the information one learns is remembered for the average person?
This depends on the task. If people have good strategies for memorization then they can remember a lot of things. Without a strategy, however, people are more limited. For example, if you give someone a list of words they will do a good job at remembering the first few words on the list (this is called the primacy effect), do poorly in the middle, and then do a good job at remembering the last few words on the list before you tell them to repeat it back (this is called the recency effect).

4. Are smells remembered?
Yes. It can be hard to remember a smell just by thinking about it, but smells often trigger other memories.

5. Can perfumes be linked to memories?
Yes.

6. How does the brain store memories?
This depends on the type of memory. For the type of memory that we're conscious of, such as facts and events, the brain uses the hippocampus. The hippocampus is initially activated while something new is being learned. It is also activated when recently learned information is being retrieved. The hippocampus helps communicate with the different parts of the cortex involved in the memory. Over time the hippocampus is required less and less to retrieve memories that happened a long time ago.

7. Where does the brain store memories?
Memories are stored all over the brain! There are lots of different types of memory, such as memory for events, memory for procedures, and memory for a familiar face. These different types of memory are stored in multiples locations, and often require that different parts of the brain communicate with each other to recall the memory. The brain is one big network, and for something as complex as memory it requires a lot of communication between its parts.

8. Are there certain smells proven to trigger memories?
Yes. Studies have used smells such as sunscreen, chlorine, and cinnamon to trigger memories. Smells seem to be especially useful for triggering memories from early in life and memories for emotional events.

9. What are some smells that have effects on the brain?
The brain is where you experience smell, so all smells have effects on the brain!