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The Secret Lives of Memories

Subjectively, our memories can feel like polaroids of our lives. We snap them casually and frequently, toss them in a drawer with the others, and take them out–if we can find them among the others in the pile–as needed. Recent neuroscience research, however, shows that the reality is much more complex. In this talk, we will outline how our memories have complex, hidden lives, and that much can happen to them without our conscious awareness. Through their covert activities, our memories may be strengthened or forgotten. We will describe our new understanding of these mechanisms, how they change as we age and are compromised by disease. Finally we’ll discuss how one might leverage what we know about memory to maximize learning and growth opportunities over the lifespan.

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