The Neuroscience Of Memory: Deja Vu, Photographic Memory, Improving Cognition & Why We Remember With Charan Ranganath, PhD

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Dec 9, 2024

Dr. Charan Ranganath, a leading neuroscientist and UC Davis professor, dives deep into the captivating world of memory. He reveals how memories are more like impressionistic paintings than snapshots, constantly reshaped by our emotions and contexts. The conversation covers the impact of memory on identity and healing, the malleability and unreliability of recollections, and how modern distractions like smartphones dilute our memory formation. Ranganath also explores techniques for improving memory retention and how emotions play a crucial role in encoding and retrieval.

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INSIGHT

Episodic Memory

Episodic memory is the ability to remember specific past events, like where you put your keys.
It also allows us to project into the future using these past experiences.

INSIGHT

Forgetting and Memory's Purpose

Most memory details are lost quickly, with 40% gone within two hours and the majority within 24 hours.
Memory prioritizes information crucial for survival and future prediction.

ADVICE

Mindful Attention

Bring mindful attention to recurring memory failures.
Purposefully note things you want to remember to improve retention.

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