It isn’t a failure of memory – it’s a consequence of processes that allow us to prioritise information.
Already a subscriber?One of the most challenging things about getting older is not being able to remember the name of your cat. You look at her and know it’s your beloved pet of eight years but at that moment you haven’t got a clue what she’s called. It comes back to you seconds later, but it’s frustrating and somewhat scary.
Just last week, I was in my gym and a mum from my son’s primary school came rushing up to me. I hadn’t seen her in 10 years, and although I recognised her face, I was stumped on her name. We chatted for about five minutes, and I could recall her son’s name and the name of her best friend. But her? Nada. I often go through the alphabet when I can’t remember something, in the hope a random “J” will jumpstart my brain into summoning up that elusive piece of lost knowledge.
How memory works is complicated and there is still so much that neurologists don’t know. There are billions of neurons in our brains and most experts agree memory function is carried out by the hippocampus in the temporal lobe. The prefrontal cortex also plays a role in determining what is retained and what gets lost.by Dr Charan Ranganath explores the fact that forgetting is OK.
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