Question: What determines what we recall? If memories can be triggered by certain sensations then does that mean that we actually have no control over what we remember?
I’m kidding. Memories are structures of cells we put down in our brain. How the cells go and, more importantly, how they connect up, determines memory. It’s not well understood. So how is it we can remember things immediately (faster than cells can grow) and how does short term memory become long-term memory. We don’t know, partly because it’s so difficult to study the brain in action.
Memories can fade is they are not used – so repeating something, or thinking about something, can help you keep a memory. Again it’s not totally clear why, but you’d have to think it’s because the more use use neurons, the longer they live – a bit like a muscle – it’s better if you use it a lot.
It’s interesting that memories can change over time. Your memory of something in your distant past can change. You think you remember something perfectly, but over time your memory can alter and you start remembering something different. The colour of the top you wore to some part 5 years ago – it can switch without you realising, and then you see a photo and you have to rethink.
Also, as the brain gets older, the number of neurons goes down naturally. This is the thing you don’t have so much control over. Again, if you think about something a lot, those memories are likely to stay, but you’ll start losing things you haven’t thought about for a long time.
It’s complex and unpredictable because the brain is a living part of you that changes. Things would be less random if the brain was like a computer disk, but it looks as though the brain has significant abilities that computer disks don’t have. The number of connections between neurons, for example, is a big thing – the brain is very connected. So you can often make connections between very weird and diverse things, and that can help us be creative.
Sorry, I can’t remember. Hahahahaha
I’m kidding. Memories are structures of cells we put down in our brain. How the cells go and, more importantly, how they connect up, determines memory. It’s not well understood. So how is it we can remember things immediately (faster than cells can grow) and how does short term memory become long-term memory. We don’t know, partly because it’s so difficult to study the brain in action.
Memories can fade is they are not used – so repeating something, or thinking about something, can help you keep a memory. Again it’s not totally clear why, but you’d have to think it’s because the more use use neurons, the longer they live – a bit like a muscle – it’s better if you use it a lot.
It’s interesting that memories can change over time. Your memory of something in your distant past can change. You think you remember something perfectly, but over time your memory can alter and you start remembering something different. The colour of the top you wore to some part 5 years ago – it can switch without you realising, and then you see a photo and you have to rethink.
Also, as the brain gets older, the number of neurons goes down naturally. This is the thing you don’t have so much control over. Again, if you think about something a lot, those memories are likely to stay, but you’ll start losing things you haven’t thought about for a long time.
It’s complex and unpredictable because the brain is a living part of you that changes. Things would be less random if the brain was like a computer disk, but it looks as though the brain has significant abilities that computer disks don’t have. The number of connections between neurons, for example, is a big thing – the brain is very connected. So you can often make connections between very weird and diverse things, and that can help us be creative.
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