How does memory work? Why can’t we remember things that happened when we were babies? Why do we forget? Why are some people forgetful? Why do elephants have such good memories. What’s this episode about? I forgot! Oh yeah, how does our memory work! Our guest is Dr. Nick Turk-Browne, professor of psychology at Yale University.
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- When you have an experience, it changes your brain.
- Different parts of the brain store different types of memories and information.
- We have motor memory, which stores skills like riding a bike. We have preference memory, which stores what we like and dislike. We also have episodic memory, which stores specific events.
- There are several stages of memory and remembering things: encoding, consolidation and retrieval.
- Encoding is the initial stage of memory. That’s when you process information related to a feeling or an experience. Encoding is often done in your brain while you sleep. So is the next stage, consolidation. Some things are forgotten, while our brains hold onto other information. The last stage, retrieval, is how you are able to pull up a memory when you need it, or use previous experiences to solve new problems (like being able to figure out a math problem you’ve never seen before because you’ve solved similar problems in the past)
- As we grow older, we don’t usually have memories from the earliest years of our lives. This is called infantile amnesia.(Amnesia means a partial or total loss of memory.) It’s still a little bit of a mystery why we can’t remember things from those early years. Nick Turke-Brown’s lab at Yale University is studying this issue, and their research suggests that babies start storing memories at about 12 months, but most people’s first memories are from when they are between four and seven years old.
- So now researchers are trying to figure out why the gap exists and if there could ever be a way to retrieve (get back) those earliest memories.
- Generally speaking, remembering is important, but so is forgetting!
- We forget things because our brains are working to clean up memories and reduce interference.
- Some people do have better memories than others. That variation is normal, but there are also medical conditions that can make it hard for some people to remember. Injuries to your brain can also worsen memory. That’s why it’s important to take precautions like wearing a helmet when riding a bike and playing certain sports. And always talk to an adult if you’re having trouble remembering simple things, especially after a fall or injury.
