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Jun 9, 2007

"Memory: a child walking along a seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things." --Pierce Harris

Forgetfulness: A Tool of the Brain

A note to the forgetful: be thankful you don’t remember everything. It means your brain is working properly. According to a new study, the brain only chooses to remember memories it thinks are most relevant, and actively suppresses those that are similar but less used, helping to lessen the cognitive load and prevent confusion. "Whenever you’re engaging in remembering, the brain adapts. It’s constantly re-weighting memories," says Brice Kuhl of Stanford University. A good example is the confusion that arises when we change passwords on our computers or email accounts. We often mix up old and new passwords at first, but through repetition we develop a strong memory of the new password and forget the old one.