What am I remembering?
July 26, 2013
What do I remember – or do I?
Does anybody besides me remember the Red Dwarf episode where Lister gave Rimmer some of his memories?
Scientists at MIT have recently created a similar effect in mice:
When the brain forms a memory, a population of brain cells is thought to undergo lasting physical or chemical changes, creating what’s called a “memory engram.” Memory has two phases: First, the memory is acquired by activating these brain cells, and later it is recalled by reactivating these cells. Scientists had hypothesized, but never proved, these memory cells existed.
Researcher Susumu Tonegawa, who worked with mice to create a false fear memory, explains that a similar process may exist in humans. This phenomenon may help to explain why eyewitness testimony, particularly that experienced in an emotionally charged setting, may often be inaccurate.
Gunsmoke and Knitting 
I don’t remember this. Are you tring to implant it in my mind? 😉
Ha ha! You discovered my cunning plan!
Snowcrash was an interesting take on engrams. What’s a little scary is that MIT is finding the science behind the recovered memories of the horrible 1990s when we had the new witch trials and all those people found themselves ‘remembering’ awful things that their therapists told them. More shades of 1984.
I often need to go look up your references – you are fascinating.