Memory is a critical psychological process. It’s how human beings know their names, where they live, their loved ones, and even how to do their jobs. Without memory, life would be very different. Scholars define memory as information that is stored in the brain and can be retrieved at will. Thanks to it, humans can learn new skills and accumulate new experiences. Scientists have tried to learn more about human memory for centuries, but the majority of it remains a mystery. Here are 15 interesting facts about memory that we know so far.
1. Some Memories in the Brain May Be Untrue
Over time, the memories in the brain become inaccurate, especially when it comes to childhood experiences. Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine whether a particular memory actually happened or is being recalled from a story told by the parents. Over time, psychologists have been able to alter people’s memories by convincing them that they had done something untrue.
2. People Easily Remember Memory with Meaning
If an experience or person means more to a human being, their memories will be easily remembered. This is why it’s hard for people to forget their first kiss, first job, and first heartbreak. The brain processes a lot of memories throughout the day. To prioritize the critical information it is fed, it associates it with meaning or emotions. Scientists have associated this with the production of dopamine in the brain.
3. Lefties Have a Better Memory Than Righties
A study done by professors Ruth Propper and Stephen Christman showed that left-handed people have better memory than right-handed people. This is because lefties tend to have large corpus callosums that link the two brain hemispheres. As a result, lefties can easily recall past experiences.
4. Insomnia Can Lead to Memory Loss
Scientists agree that adequate sleep can improve memory. However, insomnia can do the exact opposite. During the phase of Slow Wave Sleep, declarative memories are stored in the hippocampus temporarily before being redistributed for long-term storage in the cortex. Also, in the REM stage of sleep, unconscious memory skills are consolidated in the brain. As a result, people with poor sleeping habits will have a more challenging time recollecting events that happen in their lives.
5. Memory is Stored in Different Parts of the Brain
Research has shown that different types of memories are stored in varying parts of the brain. For instance, the Sensorimotor Striatum stores habitual memories, the hippocampus stores episodic memories, and the amygdala stores emotional memories. Other parts, such as the temporal lobes, also assist in memory storage.
6. The Human Brain Can’t Run Out of Memory
Studies have shown that the human brain has a memory of 2.5 million gigabytes, which is the equivalent of 300 years of television. Interestingly, the human mind can never run out of memory. Unless one is affected by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the brain will always accumulate new memories. What scientists are yet to figure out is if humans have an unlimited memory, why do they forget a lot of things every day?
7. The Short–Term Memory Can Only Remember 5 to 9 Things
Long-term memory has an unlimited capacity. However, short-term memory can only juggle 5 to 9 pieces of information. This small capacity of short-term memory is the reason why people often forget a lot of things. A good example of how small the short-term memory capacity is cramming for a test. Most of the time, students end up forgetting what they have crammed.
8. The Internet Affects Memory Recollection
The fact that the internet can give you access to information in seconds makes the brain least likely to remember what you’re searching for. Because this information can conveniently be obtained, the brain sees no reason to store it in the memory.
9. Memory Develops When a Baby is Still in the Womb
Even though most people can’t remember their early childhood memories, fetuses often develop memory as early as four months into pregnancy. After birth, fetuses tend to remember songs or hymns their mothers used to play for them while they were still in the womb. Prenatal memory helps strengthen the bond between a mother and a child.
10. Beta-Blockers Can Erase Bad Memories
Research shows that Beta-blockers, which are medications prescribed for conditions like high blood pressure and angina, can erase bad memories. These medications affect the recollection of negative or traumatic memories.
11. Alcohol Interferes with the Ability to Form New Long-Term Memories
Ever wondered why you don’t remember anything after a night of heavy drinking? Well, alcohol disrupts the ability to form new long-term memories. Alcohol also affects short-term memory because it slows down the communication between nerves in the brain. As such, long-term consumption of alcohol can lead to memory loss.
12. Eyewitness Memory is Sometimes Inaccurate
Even though the legal system depends heavily on eyewitness testimonies, their memories can sometimes be inaccurate. Eyewitness memory can easily be corrupted by misinterpretation, leading questions, conversations with other witnesses and cognitive bias. Therefore, eyewitness memory alone should not be relied upon in court.
13. Dolphins Have the Longest Memory
Of all animals, dolphins have the longest memory. Dolphins can remember the whistles of their family members even after being separated for 20 years. Whistling is very important for dolphins. It helps them avoid danger, and it comes in handy during hunting. Other animals with remarkable memory are parrots, horses, chimpanzees and elephants.
14. Some People Can Recall Memories with Exceptional Accuracy
There is a condition known as Hyperthymesia, which entails an ability to recall life events, including dates and other key information, with remarkable accuracy and detail. As of 2021, less than 100 people were diagnosed with Hyperthymesia. Fictional characters like Mike Ross from the legal/drama TV series Suits have been used by filmmakers in the past to depict this phenomenon.
15. Gaslighting Affects Memories
Gaslighting refers to a psychological process where a person’s perception of reality is changed into a different one. People who unknowingly experience gaslighting begin to believe what they are being told. Eventually, gaslighting changes someone’s memories, and they stop trusting their intuition.