Forget what you thought you knew about memory! Why We Remember author Charan Ranganath joins us to share surprising insights into how we recall the past.
What We Discuss with Charan Ranganath:
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Memories are not literal recordings of the past, but are constructed in the moment based on bits and pieces of information. We often forget most details, and what we do remember can be distorted by our current context, beliefs, and the act of retelling memories.
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Emotion and attention play a key role in memory formation. Emotionally charged events tend to be remembered more vividly because chemicals like norepinephrine promote neural plasticity. Distinctive, attention-grabbing elements of an experience are more likely to be encoded into long-term memory.
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Memories can be unreliable in group settings due to interference between different people's recollections and the influence of dominant personalities. Eyewitness testimony is often flawed because of how malleable and suggestible human memory is.
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The sense that time is passing slowly or quickly is tied to the distinctiveness of our episodic memories. Repetitive, non-distinctive experiences (like pandemic lockdowns) can make days feel long but weeks pass in a blur due to a lack of memorable event boundaries.
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To improve your everyday memory, try to be mindful and limit distractions in the moment. You can deliberately create memory cues by vividly imagining a visual reminder that will help you recall information later. Diversifying your experiences and learning new things also helps keep your mind sharp and allows you to make creative connections. With some practice, you can harness your episodic memory to enrich your life.
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