Forgetting, not memory, moves us forward

Forgetting is the only safe response to the world's problems, from a geopolitical perspective, according to author and journalist David Rieff. Sometimes it’s too dangerous to remember. And forgetting is also a good thing in your personal life, say scientists. It moves us forward. The science of memory is giving way to the science of forgetting. Forgetting used to be seen as a failure of the brain, but new research suggests it’s a crucial part of the way our minds function. 

Original broadcast on March 27, 2022

Guests

Dr Scott Small – Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Columbia University

Dr Oliver Hardt - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, McGill University (Canada) 

David Rieff – writer and journalist

Further information

Scott Small – Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering

David Rieff – In Praise of Forgetting