The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong By Heart, Part 1
Jul 29, 2025
Delve into the groundbreaking world of genetics, where the discovery of the 47th chromosome linked to Down syndrome unfolds amid societal chaos. Explore Aristotle's timeless theories on memory and their enduring impact on psychology. Witness the evolution of memory research, from Ebbinghaus’s innovative methods to the complex interplay of cognitive processes. Uncover the fragility of memory, shaped by emotional experiences, and ponder the intriguing concept of near-perfect memories that challenges our understanding of recall.
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Unabomber Targeted A Geneticist
- On June 22, 1993, Charles Epstein opened a mailed padded envelope that exploded.
- The attack revived panic and signaled the Unabomber's return.
Wax Impression Model Of Memory
- Aristotle proposed memories are impressions like wax seals.
- That image dominated thinking about memory for millennia.
Ebbinghaus's Nonsense-Syllable Method
- Hermann Ebbinghaus memorized lists of meaningless syllables to quantify learning and forgetting.
- His laborious self‑tests produced the first learning and forgetting curves.
