Our understanding of memory, the ways in which we recall past events, is ever-changing. For instance, we’ve long tended to think of memories like folders in a filing cabinet, something we can find and recall at will. But a recent study by the University of Texas in Dallas has challenged that assumption.
It turns out only certain pieces of memories are easily accessible, others remain elusive until triggered by a cue - by a familiar smell, a place, or a question. Additionally, our recalled memory is very rarely an exact copy of the original experience. A process known as re-encoding, where older memories are updated each time they are recalled, begins to include extra details from our general knowledge, past experiences, or even the situation we’re currently in. The study “helps us understand why our memories aren’t always reliable,” says lead researcher Prof. Louis Renoult. “They can be influenced by time, context, and even our own imaginations.”
It’s the first week of June and we’re hearing writing along the theme of memory this month. Today, Rebecca Evans shares a micro essay by Brian Turner, called “The Mosquito.” Turner is the author of the memoir My Life as a Foreign Country and two collections of poetry: Here, Bullet and Phantom Noise. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic, and many other outlets.
Something I Heard is supported by Idaho Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
