I think the science is basically that it breaks down chlorophyll, turns a bit of THCA into THC and lets the terps mature over time like a good whiskey. From my understanding, in the case of jar curing, it's essentially letting buds carry on drying and evening out their moisture but at a wayyy slower pace. In the case of grove bags (which I highly recommend for any growers), I believe it's more to do with how gases are exchanged but I'm not entirely sure. In any case, I tend to use grove bags for the first 3 weeks or so and then transfer to jars... seems to do a pretty good job! If you're just using jars, opening it by a window (not necessary but helps) for 15-20 mins a day is usually ideal and gives a noticeable change in smoke over about 2 weeks.

The jar and burping is for after your 2/3 week cure.

The longer the cure the better the flower gets, it’s basically like wine etc. Think it’s got something to do with moisture content in the flower so while it’s in a jar/bag getting cured burped etc itl slowly remove excess moisture and improve taste of the flower alongside it.

That's interesting, I have left flower that is bone dry in a jar too mainly because I didn't want to smoke it and that massively improved in taste, smell and strength. I know even from the same batch there can be a difference nug to nug so that could also explain it.

This will only happen to fresh flowers. Old dry buds will not improve at all in the jar for example.
My experience (with good phenos only) is that after harvest they dry out for the first time within 7-10 days (depending on env). After that you close them in an airtight container where they will become "wet/sticky" again overnight and once they become dry again in a coupe weeks they are ready to smoke. I don't agree with the longer you go the better it gets. It's not true, over long time (about 6+ months) they will degrade, become brown and will loose most of it's terps.
Good phenos that grown well will not need as much time curing either.

hmm, I have mostly experienced it from flower that was still on the softer side but a couple nugs that I got off here that had no smell and taste gained it back after sitting in a closed jar for about two weeks.

Correct, some people also have water moisture machines to measure how much water is actually present in flower, even after months they test it and still has water moisture in the flower either in the stem/shelf or pistils itself

hmm, thank you this has been very insightful. It would be cool to see some proper research done on this some day.

Without a good cure you’re going to of wasted all that time, the worse part is it always goes through a hay/grass smell which makes you shit yourself that it’s fucked but just part of the stages, once cured you need to burp it as well for another few weeks

giggly and relaxed - afghan kush from cannabis cannibals :-)

super relaxed - nicole kush from thegoodstuff :-)