Do you have a bad memory? Scientists explain why we forget things
More under this adAccording to a new study by neuroscientists specialising in memory, forgetfulness may not be such a bad thing. Find out why this happens to you and what it means.
Have you ever been told you have the memory of a goldfish or a sieve for a brain? Or maybe you've already forgotten: if so, here's a handy list of tell-tale signs you might be losing your memory. Even if you are, don't worry, science says you are perhaps better off for it!
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Amnesia and hypermnesia
While amnesia is rightly considered a disorder to be avoided at all costs, not enough is said about its evil doppelganger, hypermnesia, or the ability to remember absolutely everything. It's a condition that prevents the brain from sorting through all the information we generate over the course of our lives, leading us to store everything in our memory.
More under this adMore under this adBut we're drifting off on a tangent. According to findings by neuroscientists, forgetting may not be such a bad thing. In fact, it allows us to learn in a certain way.
More under this adMore under this adRead more:Experts show link between lockdown and memory loss
Forgetting: why do we do it?
According to researchers, if we forget certain memories or information, it's largely because of the environment around us. In other words, our memory dependson the needs associated with it: forgetting therefore appears to be a way of adapting to a constantly changing environment.
In the article, published in thescientific journal Science Direct, we learn that forgetting is beneficial. This isbecause it enables us to select which drawer of memories and learning to open, depending on the behavior to be adopted. Our reasoning thus becomesmore flexible, leading to better decision-making.
More under this adMore under this adEngram cells
Dr. Ryan, whose research team is based at Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Ireland, explains: 'Memories are stored in sets of neurons called 'engram cells'' and remembering something accurately requires the 'reactivation of these ensembles':
By logical extension, forgetting occurs when engram cells cannot be reactivated. However, it is increasingly becoming clear that the memories themselves are still there, but the specific ensembles are not activated and so the memory is not recalled. It’s as if the memories are stored in a safe but you can’t remember the code to unlock it.More under this adMore under this ad
If you are having trouble remembering the 'code', here are two surprising things you could do to improve your memory. Try not to stress about it though - maybe you are just super easy-going.
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⋙ Experts show link between lockdown and memory loss
Sources used:
Science Direct:Adaptive expression of engrams by retroactive interference
Neuroscience News: Forgetting: Not a Flaw, But a Brain’s Hidden Feature of Memory