HOW TO PICK A COLOGNE - Scentual Science - Smarter Every Day 125 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Destin conducts an experiment to find the ideal cologne scent that triggers positive memories for his wife.

Key Insights

• 🍻 Smell is strongly linked to memory and can evoke powerful emotions.
• 👯 Gathering opinions from real people is more valuable than relying on marketing-driven data.
• 🥺 Narrowing down options based on preferences can lead to a higher chance of choosing an ideal scent.
• 🌒 Conditioning someone to associate a scent with positive memories requires consistency and repetition.
• ❓ The name and marketing of a cologne can bias our perception of its effectiveness.
• 🙈 Blind experiments are crucial to unbiased data collection.
• 💪 Smell can create a strong emotional connection even when physically distant.

Transcript

Hey it's me Destin, welcome back to Smarter Every Day. This is my buddy Ben, and he got a new toy, so we're gonna try to shoot with this. Just because we want to try it. Show em what it does. Do I have to stand right here? (Ben) Yes. OK, here we go. Alright so today on Smarter Every Day I am gonna tell you how I determined my cologne, my man smell.... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How does smell affect memory?

Smell is closely linked to memory, and certain scents can trigger specific memories or emotions. Destin uses this knowledge to select a cologne that will create positive memories of him for his wife.

Q: How does Destin gather data on women's preferences for cologne?

Destin uses a combination of online surveys and social media to gather opinions from women about their preferred colognes, eliminating brands that are heavily influenced by marketing.

Q: What factors does Destin consider when choosing the cologne options for his experiment?

He considers a broad spectrum of fragrances, including expensive, cheap, popular, and lesser-known brands, to ensure a fair test and not just selecting the most popular options.

Q: How does Destin condition his wife for memory triggers?

After narrowing down the options to two fragrances, Destin travels to Peru and sprays the selected cologne on his pillowcase. When his wife smells the scent while he's in a different continent, it reminds her of him, creating lasting memories.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Destin uses the scientific method to determine the optimum smell for his wife, with the goal of triggering positive memories about him when he's not around.

• He gathers data by surveying women's preferences on social media and compiling the responses.

• After narrowing down the options, he conducts a blind experiment, applying different colognes and documenting his wife's reactions to determine the top two fragrances.