It appears we are finally able to
say something intelligent about the whole process of memory. We can now observe that process apparently in
action. It is noteworthy that memories
to be saved are in fact selected and then transported to the cortex. One presumes that short term memories are in
fact over written.
Seen this way we can discount
claims of perfect memories and replace that with a more efficient memory that
leaves the illusion of a perfect memory.
It all needs to be thought about.
This may also be an artifact of
our own assumptions regarding memory processing. It sounds a little too like a computer to
me. I suggest we put interpretations on
hold until we gather much more information now we seem able to do so.
Study: Memories change brain structure
by Staff Writers
European researchers say they've recorded changes in the brain as it
learns and sorts what it has learned in a "clearing house"
of memories.
By analyzing the brains of mice at various stages of learning, Italian,
Swiss and German scientists observed the brain modifying its structure and
organization, making new connections while canceling some others out,
Italian news agency ANSA reported Monday.
"When we have to memorize something, in a structure called the
hippocampus or the cerebellum," Piergiorgio Strata, head of Italy's
National Neuroscience Institute,
said, "the things to be remembered are selected.
"Some of them are sent to permanent storage areas located in
various parts of the brain's cortex, while others are organized differently,
with inhibitory synapses coming into play."
Since some memories, such as fears, can leave a very intense permanent
trace, the research could pave the way for discovering the molecular
foundations of phobias and anxieties, the researchers said.
The research, published in the journal Nature, shows that
"short-term memory can become long-term via a process called consolidation,
which is completed over several days," Strata said.
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