ow much should you worry about forgetting things?In one sense, forgetting is a very real problem. How many of us could still pass exams for classes we took in college? How many dust-covered books sit on your shelf which you’ve forgotten the plot? Knowledge, like all things, decays with time.It would be nice if there were a simple procedure for guaranteeing permanent memories. Indeed, it seems like there already are memories we have like this: a first kiss, a fantastic vacation or the birth of a child.Yet, psychologists question whether these memories are as durable as they seem. On September 12th, one day after the devastating terrorist attacks, psychologists had Duke university students record their memories of the event. Later, they followed up after 1, 6 and 32 weeks to see how well they held up.What they noted was that while the confidence of these “flashbulb” memories remained high, the decline in accuracy was similar to everyday memories. Vividness is no guarantee of permanence.
ow much should you worry about forgetting things?
In one sense, forgetting is a very real problem. How many of us could still pass exams for classes we took in college? How many dust-covered books sit on your shelf which you’ve forgotten the plot? Knowledge, like all things, decays with time.
It would be nice if there were a simple procedure for guaranteeing permanent memories. Indeed, it seems like there already are memories we have like this: a first kiss, a fantastic vacation or the birth of a child.
Yet, psychologists question whether these memories are as durable as they seem. On September 12th, one day after the devastating terrorist attacks, psychologists had Duke university students record their memories of the event. Later, they followed up after 1, 6 and 32 weeks to see how well they held up.
What they noted was that while the confidence of these “flashbulb” memories remained high, the decline in accuracy was similar to everyday memories. Vividness is no guarantee of permanence.
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