5th Sethe

picture link What if humans had the power of glancing at something and immediately having a photographic image of it ingrained into their memory? What if instead of studying for a test you were able to memorize the contents of the textbook instantly?  In fact, there are people who possess some extent of this so-called superpower, or photographic memory. For example, people working in the crime and investigation department often rely on their memory to recall important details regarding the case. Memorizing car license plates, street addresses, and dialogues are all a part of the fundamental skills that police officers, investigators, and other federal agents are required to master.  Memorization skills can be improved however, with practice. Techniques such as active recall can help stimulate the brain to remember certain events with more precision.  However, if we were all to have photographic memory, then the significance of memory itself wanes. Human memory is imperfec...

          Although we often consider memory as a concept rooted in the mental realm, it can have a definite and measurable effect on our physical states. In fact, there are plenty of examples of memories having a quantifiable impact on our bodies.      An admittedly grim example of this is the condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as PTSD. This disorder most commonly develops in people who have developed trauma from an upsetting or disturbing experience, specifically the kind that persists for an extended period of time. The National Institute of Mental Health states that individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder are afflicted with what is known as “re-experiencing symptoms,” which can include “physical symptoms” such as a “racing heart or sweating.” In short, it is the memories of the event that they experienced that is having a demonstrable effect on their bodies. The link between memory and ph...

4/27/22  Memorial Mentality Picture Link Memory. Memory is something that we all have but share little bits of. Memory affects each of us in many ways. Memory is something of an odd sort that can be used to influence our actions and how we approach certain things and events. We all associate our memories and past emotions to events that took place within those memories. An example of this could be the school we all hate taking tests and the many grueling times we do in AP English 11 or the carefree relaxing thoughts of summer without school and free of homework, tests, and timed writes. Our view on everything is dependent on our memories of these things another example could be Disneyland or Hollywood Studios and the exhilarating fun experiences you have had on the rides and the anticipation while waiting in the lines to get on those bright shining and climate rides such as the rapids or Matterhorn or even The Simpsons ride these thoughts being you to those emotions of amazement th...

  What does memory mean for other animals? I have been thinking about memory for a while and it occurred to me that humans can’t possibly be the only creatures to remember the past… well they kind of are. It turns out, according to an experiment done by Stockholm University, apart from a few crucial things like food, most animals forget things in a matter of seconds. The experiment was conducted with the use of small lights, and seeing if the animal would react to a color or shape the researchers had shown it before. It is astonishing how animals do not have a function we seem to take for granted. At the same time however, it almost makes sense that animals other than humans wouldn’t have a developed memory, because they have no real need for it. I mean a chipmunk doesn’t have to remember names and dates, and a bear sure doesn’t need to remember what it has for homework. Memory is a skill developed because we had need of it. We have evolved to remember our past because that informa...

picture link As technology continues to advance in today's world, more and more people are interested in its effects on memory. Many scientists and people tend to focus on the negative impacts of memory. For instance, technology can worsen your memory and ability to recall and store information. It just takes a few seconds to Google something and many people prefer this to the alternative of trying to figure out the answer using their memory. Throughout the past few years, one of the main concerns surrounding technology has been that an over-use of technology would make people too reliant on it and that it may harm our ability to remember things. Despite this, technology can be a pretty useful tool to effectively use external memory (memory that uses cues from the environment to aid the remembrance of ideas and sensations). In an article I read recently by psychologytoday.com, the author mentions that humans have been using external memory for thousands of years. In the past, it m...

Recently I learned that a friend of mine lost her mother at a very young age. It made me incredibly appreciative of my own mother and curious about the role of memories in coping with loss. It seems to me that people most often discuss their valiant efforts to escape unwanted memories. We distract ourselves from the embarrassing, the traumatic, the disgusting and go to extreme lengths to rid ourselves of all. Thus, a less common but perhaps more interesting topic is the way people also find comfort and safety in memories. Those who have lost loved ones may “spend time” with them by flipping through photo albums or watching videos and reliving experiences from years long-past. Knowing that old family and friends are within (mental) grasp can provide a sense of security for people in mourning, though the benefits of this are lessened by the fact that memory’s natural tendency to fade over time can be a source of great distress, and at times painful recollections of deceased loved ones ma...

 What would happen if we could not create memories? What would that limitation even look like? In psychology I learned that damage to significant parts of the brain connected memory formation and processing, such as the hippocampus, can make a lasting impact on someone's life. After an accident that took a toll on parts of his brain, one man could not even recognize his own face because he only remembered what he looked like before the accident. However, he did not stay distraught for long because after a short time he forgot what he began being worried about. He is living in a short-term memory bubble. Not having the capacity to remember information would equate to a loss of identity and that is an extremely scary concept. Experiencing the events that life throws at us, including but not limited to various emotions and obstacles, allows us to grow as human beings. Dealing with complex problems helps us with future decision making, encourages resilience in hard times, and promotes ...