Courtesy of National Geographic, this fascinating account of two unique individuals with memory problems, and a backgrounder on how scientists think memory works.
http://magma.nationa...emory/foer-text.html
One guy (can't remember his name, har) is 81 years old but due to a brain infection, can't remember anything prior to about 1960. Not only that, but he's lost all ability to memorize new information, short of a span lasting hours, perhaps minutes. Researchers visit him almost daily, and each visit is as the first: he answers their ridiculous questions, never realizing he's answered them before.
But other than that, he's a completely normal, intelligent, engaging adult. It's like his RAM is fine, but there's a fault in his harddrive.
Another case (damn, can't remember her name either) revolves around a woman with perfect recall. She remembers every day of her life with disturbing precision. She can tell you the weather for June 10, 1990. She can play back for you the dialog from every television program she's ever watched, ever. She can tell you what her apartment smelled like during each episode, who she spoke with on the phone, what was said -- for most of her life.
Is it a blessing? A curse? How many of us have wished for perfect recall? Well, her story might sober you right up and make you GLAD you can't remember what you just stepped into the kitchen to get.
Assuming you remember to click the link at the top of the page.
