Chapter 1
How the brain builds memories
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Chapter 2
The tricks our minds play
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Chapter 3
When false memories feel real
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Chapter 4
The high stakes of memory errors
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The illusion of memory
Ch 1 · How the brain builds memories
renaissanceman Memory Reconsolidation
Rewrite it now, rewrite it now / Your brain changes the past every time you look
renaissanceman Memories are stored physically as altered connections between brain cells called neurons.
Glossary
hippocampus (noun)
A complex brain structure located in the temporal lobe that is highly involved in learning and memory. In 1953, surgeon William Scoville removed this structure from Henry Molaison, proving its necessity for memory formation.
A complex brain structure located in the temporal lobe that is highly involved in learning and memory. In 1953, surgeon William Scoville removed this structure from Henry Molaison, proving its necessity for memory formation.
renaissanceman This tiny, seahorse-shaped brain structure acts as the ultimate routing switch for memory.
Quiz
How does the brain's memory retrieval differ from a computer playing a video file?
Quiz
What is the biological process called where connections between neurons strengthen through repeated use?
Quiz
Which patient's 1953 surgery helped scientists discover that the hippocampus forms new memories?
Quiz
Which chemical messenger is most directly involved in strengthening synapses during learning?
Fun Fact
Synapse count: The human brain contains roughly 100 trillion synapses, allowing us to store an estimated 2.5 petabytes of data, equivalent to three million hours of television.
Quiz
Where in the brain are long-term memories ultimately stored after being processed?
Quiz
What is the term for the brain's ability to physically change and reorganize itself throughout life?
Quiz
What shape is the hippocampus, the brain area crucial for memory, named after?
Quiz
What happens to a memory when it is recalled, according to the theory of reconsolidation?