I once read an article about the differences between the brains of taxi drivers and people who did not need to remember how to navigate through an urban setting and the scans of the taxi driver's brains showed that the region that they used to retain and process information related to navigation was much larger than that of people who did not perform similar tasks. Here's a short video.
Memory is something I'm really interested in too. Sometimes I like that it's imperfect and that it glosses over certain details and recombines things. Sometimes. It reminds me of the Australian Aboriginal myths of Dreamtime and how all reality is dreamed or sung into being.
Another thing that strikes me, is that there are different kinds of memory. For example, kinetic memory is something that's particularly useful in public speaking or language acquisition, even though the very act of speaking requires very deliberate and precise muscle movements, we're not used to thinking about them. By externalizing the act of committing something to memory kinetically, it adds that layer of self-signposting to help ourselves along.
Regarding what lappelduvide said about not remembering day-to-day life: Before Google Glass, Microsoft Research came up with Sensecam. We had one of these for a while.
- SenseCam is a wearable camera that takes photos automatically. Originally conceived as a personal ‘Black Box’ accident recorder, it soon became evident that looking through images previously recorded tends to elicit quite vivid remembering of the original event. This exciting effect has formed the basis of a great deal of research around the world using SenseCam and the device is now available to buy as the Vicon Revue.
Damn, it scares me that I can't remember life on a day-to-day basis. Even though that shouldn't come as a shock - it's not like I live a particularly exciting life. Still...
I keep a simple log in Evernote where I briefly describe what I do each day. I usually do an entire week of events in one go, and again and again I am baffled by how little I actually remember, e.g. what I did last Tuesday. Do you remember what you did? It makes you wonder about the importance of moments. I try to do as much new stuff each day, as new memories last much longer and make days matter.
I don't remember small actions (going to the fridge, turning on the television, pouring myself coffee, et cetera), but I'd recall routine or momentous events (piano lessons or going to the theater with friends) - by title, and not by feeling/environment/the people I was with/how my mindset was on that particular day.
I'm torn when it comes to wanting to keep a log of daily activities because there's little to a day that's worth recording. On the other hand, it's frightening to think that a few thousand days have passed, but they're forever gone from my memory.
- I keep a simple log in Evernote where I briefly describe what I do each day.
That is a fantastic idea. I included your quote in the post on Svbtle.
I may start to do something similar. I kept a diary in Cameroon for my field seasons and I think they are so valuable now. But I don't do it in my day-to-day life. I think you may have stimulated me to start.
Thanks! I'm new to hubski but I'm already thorougly enjoying it. Nice article.
Another reason is that I started my diary when I moved out and started university, and want to remember these years as good as possible. If I try to recall for instance elementary school, I am appaled by how little I remember from day to day.
Good luck on your diary! Its value may not be apparent now, but you'll thank yourself later.
Don't worry, you're not alone, lol. Hi, fellow new person!
About once a year, I will dig through my old college journals and reminisce. Good on you for taking the initiative to keep a diary. Trust me, you'll be glad that you did. Welcome to Hubski!
- I'm new to hubski but I'm already thorougly enjoying it.
Welcome! Always nice to have new thoughtful people :)
I was thinking about the concept of doing something new every day. It could be as simple as eating lunch in a new restaurant, or going for a walk or run on a new trail etc.
I think that for the most part, I do this in some form or another, but I guarentee there are days when I don't. Routines are nice for a lot of aspects of life, but disrupting that routine is extremely important too.
- I try to do as much new stuff each day, as new memories last much longer and make days matter.
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner -Change, even abrupt and scary can be a positive thing.
What really changed my mind was reading up about how we form memories. Think of a place you've been often, like a local coffee shop you frequent. You probably remember the first time you entered. The smell of beans and sweetness, people talking and discussing the problems of the day. You had a normal cappuchino. It's a new place, let's not take risks just yet. The barista was nice and delivered societies' most accepted addiction with speed and agility.
The last time you've been there you probably remember too. You got the usual. There was a new girl behind the counter who didn't recognize you and for the first time in months you weren't treated like a regular.
But try to remember the 7th time you've been there, and suddenly nothing special comes to mind. We humans are creatures of habit. The comfort of doing the same thing is what makes you forget those moments. So I try my best to learn something new every day. Explore, play with the things you do daily. Today will be the only day you'll do it that way.
- The comfort of doing the same thing is what makes you forget those moments. So I try my best to learn something new every day. Explore, play with the things you do daily. Today will be the only day you'll do it that way.
This is invaluable advice/knowledge. It is new experiences that really shape our existence. There is even evidence that people who form new experiences on a regular basis subjectively perceive their life to be longer than those who do the same thing every day. In fact, I think it is the ability to constantly expose yourself to new things that is the best opportunity of being financially comfortable. If I was financially comfortable I would definitely be able to expose myself to more new things than I currently do. I mean, I should still make an effort to do new things that don't cost very much, but financially comfort would help a lot!
I've often thought that if you had such a memory (i.e. the eidetic memory mentioned in the article), you could prove to be an invaluable asset in a wide array of industries.
What I'm curious more so though, is whether people with such a brain/memory type ever feel 'overloaded' so to speak, or is it just seemingly 'normal' to them and it's stored/retrieved with ease?
- What I'm curious more so though, is whether people with such a brain/memory type ever feel 'overloaded' so to speak, or is it just seemingly 'normal' to them and it's stored/retrieved with ease?
Ya, although it is obvious, it is still a little troubling to think about. I'm already jealous of the memory-storing capabilities of future humans.
Really good read. While photographs (and sights and sounds) are good aids to help us retrieve some of our childhood, I'd like to think that technology is culprit to destroying our memories. Or perhaps, being lazy is. I would commit memorizing my agenda for the next couple of weeks if not for the abundance of smartphones and GTD apps.
- I'd like to think that technology is culprit to destroying our memories. Or perhaps, being lazy is. I would commit memorizing my agenda for the next couple of weeks if not for the abundance of smartphones and GTD apps.
I don't think you should view technology as "destroying" your memories. When you use a smartphone or app to keep track of your day-to-day you are engaging in an activity that all humans adapted to an urban setting have utilized. In urban settings life speeds up, we have to do more things, remember more things, plan for more things. This is not a life we were technically adapted to throughout most of our evolution. Technology in this sense has a useful function. They are brain extenders - allowing us to do, remember, and plan for more things that we would otherwise be able to manage.
Thanks for reading :)
We may only remember a very small percentage of specific memories (sound, vision, touch, taste, etc..), but wouldn't it be fair to say that everything we have experienced is somehow stored in us, although we are not able to consciously recall some of these memories? Maybe the term "remember" is too narrowly used.
For example, if someone throws a ball at me, I will be able to react fast and catch it. However, there is no way in hell that I can remember the specific moment when I was able to do this. This muscle memory has been built over time from every instance of having to use the muscle to produce a "positive" outcome (catch the ball and avoid being hit in the face).
How can we separate these types of memories? Is it even possible?
Really love your thoughts on this washedup.
- wouldn't it be fair to say that everything we have experienced is somehow stored in us, although we are not able to consciously recall some of these memories?
To some degree, I'm sure you're right. There are different types of memories than just conscious memories. This became quite evident to me when I was talking to a friend about her childhood. She was saying that she sometimes gets negative and positive feelings in certain situations that she thinks are connected to events in her early years of life that she can't remember or explain. I'm sure this happens to me to without me even realizing! I bet a ton of subconscious memory is stored, especially from our very first experiences in life.
- How can we separate these types of memories? Is it even possible?
I'm not sure. When I was writing this post my mind was focused on conscious memories and how we can better actually remember our own lives. I would love to do more research on the topic though.
Love the questions!
Nice photo, a young primatologist in the making. Memory is a tricky thing. I think lil did a nice job in her post Can I Trust My Memory in talking about how people edit or revise history via their memories. A lot of creativity comes from the subjective nature of memory. We can all have different takes on the same moment. If the future gives us the ability to clearly and objectively remember things, we may miss out on something.
- If the future gives us the ability to clearly and objectively remember things, we may miss out on something.
I think the future will allow for a number of different memory possibilities. I think true and complete objective memory may be possible. But so will false memories, alternate memories, and a wide range of new subjective memories.
It sort of makes me want to reach for Feynman's famous quote about how science only adds beauty. New technologies will only allow us to add to our experience of memory; but it won't subtract. It will essentially be a personal decision how you would like to best engage with your own past, whether that is in a complete objective sense, or in new and different subjective ways.