Dive into the fascinating world of memory, revealing how recalling past events is often more of a creative reconstruction than pure retrieval. Discover the unpredictable nature of forgetting and how it shapes our lives. Hear the touching story of an amnesiac whose love for his wife and music transcends his seven-second memory. Explore groundbreaking research on how memories can be altered, and ponder the impact of technology on our recollections. Experience the profound connection between music and memory, offering hope for those facing memory loss.
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insights INSIGHT
Memory as Reconstruction
Memory is not like a file cabinet or hard drive.
It's a reconstructive process, more akin to painting or sculpting.
question_answer ANECDOTE
LeDoux's Early Brain Encounters
Joe LeDoux, a neuroscientist, developed an early interest in brains.
As a child, he worked in his father's meat market, cleaning cow brains.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Exploring Memory with Rats and Goldfish
In college, LeDoux worked with rat brains, exploring memory.
Scientists discovered a drug that, when given to goldfish, prevented them from forming long-term memories.
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Forever Today is a poignant memoir by Deborah Wearing, recounting the story of her husband Clive, a musician who contracted a virus in 1985 that left him with severe anterograde amnesia. Despite his inability to form new memories, Clive's love for Deborah remained strong, and she dedicated herself to his care while advocating for better support for brain injury victims. The book explores themes of love, resilience, and the human condition.
101 damnations
101 damnations
Andrew Harman
Musicophilia
Tales of Music and the Brain
Oliver Sacks
In 'Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain', Oliver Sacks delves into the complex and fascinating relationship between music and the human brain. The book is divided into four parts, each focusing on different themes such as the sudden onset of musicality, musical oddities like synesthesia, and the role of music in memory, movement, and emotion. Sacks examines cases of people with conditions such as musical hallucinations, amusia, and those with extraordinary musical abilities despite neurological impairments. He also discusses how music therapy can treat conditions like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and Tourette's syndrome. The book combines scientific insight with compassionate storytelling to illuminate the profound impact of music on human experience.
Remembering is a tricky, unstable business. This hour: a look behind the curtain of how memories are made...and forgotten.
The act of recalling in our minds something that happened in the past is an unstable and profoundly unreliable process--it’s easy come, easy go as we learn how true memories can be obliterated, and false ones added. Then, Oliver Sacks joins us to tell the story of an amnesiac whose love for his wife and music transcend his 7-second memory.
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