Forming episodic memories at points of maximum uncertainty

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Episodic memories are formed at points of high prediction error, uncertainty, surprise, or motivationally significant periods. These moments of maximum uncertainty or surprise are the most optimal for encoding episodic memories as they provide the most useful and unique information. The hippocampus and other networks involved in generating internal models of events show heightened connectivity during breaks between events, known as event boundaries, leading to better memory. By capturing episodic memories at these event boundaries, where uncertainty is highest, individuals can enhance memory retrieval and processing to build a more accurate internal model of the experience.

Charan Ranganath is a psychologist and neuroscientist at UC Davis, specializing in human memory. He is the author of a new book titled Why We Remember. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/charan-ranganath-transcript

EPISODE LINKS:
Charan’s X: https://x.com/CharanRanganath
Charan’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/thememorydoc
Charan’s Website: https://charanranganath.com
Why We Remember (book): https://amzn.to/3WzUF6x
Charan’s Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ptWkt1wAAAAJ
Dynamic Memory Lab: https://dml.ucdavis.edu/

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(10:18) – Experiencing self vs remembering self
(23:59) – Creating memories
(33:31) – Why we forget
(41:08) – Training memory
(51:37) – Memory hacks
(1:03:26) – Imagination vs memory
(1:12:44) – Memory competitions
(1:22:33) – Science of memory
(1:37:48) – Discoveries
(1:48:52) – Deja vu
(1:54:09) – False memories
(2:14:14) – False confessions
(2:18:00) – Heartbreak
(2:25:34) – Nature of time
(2:33:15) – Brain–computer interface (BCI)
(2:47:19) – AI and memory
(2:57:33) – ADHD
(3:04:30) – Music
(3:14:15) – Human mind