Memory: How to Boost It
Summary
Many worry about their memory declining, but this episode explains that forgetting is a natural function of the brain, not a sign of failure, and offers scientific reasons for common memory lapses like forgetting why you entered a room. It delves into the limited efficacy of supplements and puzzles, instead highlighting the profound impact of sleep on memory consolidation, the benefits of "downtime" for brain processing, and the importance of paying focused attention to create lasting memories. Listeners will learn practical, evidence-based strategies to improve memory retention.Episode description
Lots of us feel like our memories are garbage — like we’d forget our pants if they weren’t on our legs. But what if the science told us that forgetting stuff is totally normal? We dig into the weird science of why our memories work the way they do. And if we DO want better retention in our brain box, are there science-approved ways to boost our memories? We talk to cognitive neuroscientist Prof. Charan Ranganath, neuroscientist Prof. Loren Frank, and psychologist Prof. Jan Born.
Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMemory
Check out Charan Ranganath’s book, Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory’s Power to Hold On To What Matters: https://charanranganath.com/book/
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Our crappy memories
(03:50) Forgetting is the default
(08:49) Event boundaries and how to get around them
(13:30) To remember more, up the stakes
(18:33) Can supplements or crosswords boost our memory?
(24:00) How sleep can enhance our memory
(28:48) “Downtime” as a memory hack
This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Fact checking by Sam Lemonick. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Bobby Lord, and Emma Munger. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Professor Bruce Miller, Dr. Christopher Madan, Professor Joel Kramer, Professor Marc Roig, Professor Sarah Raskin, and Professor Steven DeKosky.
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