8
votes
Can memorising a new thing erase existing memories?
Although this is quite an old question, I thought I would add additional
information regarding this topic for consideration.
As already noted, the storage capacity of the human brain is certainly ...
- 1,227
7
votes
Accepted
Are new memories stored in new neurons generated in the hippocampus?
Memories are generally understood to be encoded within networks of neurons, and not within neurons themselves. New neurons are certainly useful, but they are not necessary to store new memories.
...
7
votes
Intentionally making ourselves remember things that never happened
If I understood correctly, you are talking about "false memories" in the context of the following definition in (Johnson, M. K., 2001)
"A false memory is a mental experience that is mistakenly ...
- 1,154
6
votes
Accepted
Does language learning improve or worsen the ability to remember and process information?
What I do not quite understand is: What is (according to Syka) "useless information" and how should we "avoid" this kind of information?
Let me try and answer this as follows: During our lifetime, ...
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6
votes
Accepted
Why do some memories stick out more than others?
First, whenever talking about memory, it helps to be specific. Memory is, somewhat controversially, categorized in a number of different ways.
I'll take the liberty of assuming that you are ...
- 76
5
votes
Accepted
Opposite of White Bear principle?
Short answer
Over-thinking
Background
Unconscious recall of information can be more effective than conscious recall of that same information. Disruption of the activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal ...
- 19.6k
4
votes
What is the data structure used by the brain to store data?
Memory in the brain isn't super-well understood, so going to the level of "data-structures" isn't really possible with purely biological models. Not that a purely biolgocial description would be very ...
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4
votes
Can memorising a new thing erase existing memories?
This is true if you do have a hard disk of 20GB, but the human memory is large enough.
You might have only a few gigabytes of storage space, similar to the space in an iPod or a USB flash drive.
...
4
votes
Does night-sleep-deprivation have any effect on cognitive performance?
According to this article, yes it does have various symptoms including cognitive deficiencies that make us more prone to errors and less efficient :
Circadian rhythms biologically program us to ...
- 2,137
4
votes
Accepted
Why do I forget important things and remember things that I don't care about?
There could be several reasons, I'm sure. One particular explanation that sticks out to me is a concept called 'feature integration theory'. I mention this because the things you say you remember -- ...
- 3,672
4
votes
Can dreams predict the future?
Short answer
Dreams cannot predict the future.
Background
Likely you are referring to Deja reve ('already dreamed'), which has been hypothesized to be (Schredi et al., 2017):
...the distinct ...
- 19.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Is it fair to categorize the neurons in the output layer of artificial neural networks as grandmother cells?
I would say it depends on what your goals are and what parts of the grandmother cell "story" you want to highlight.
Sure, the output layer is grandmother-like because it can represent single concepts
...
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3
votes
Accepted
Does studying flashcards, both front to back and back to front, decrease retention opposed to only memorizing one way?
No, it just makes the intervals suboptimal. Either bury the card if the opposite side came recently or change the card to the direction it will usually appear. (Sometimes it will be the description ...
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3
votes
How does the group that is not stressed and not reactivated act as a control for time in Schwabe & Wolf 2010?
It appears that they tested all of the participants (control & stress) at the same time:
Memory was assessed 24 h after learning. According to the model
by Joels and colleagues (2006), it ...
- 2,396
3
votes
What is the data structure used by the brain to store data?
The brain structure for memory, association, learning and thinking works more like a network of weighted, linked nodes.
in machine learning and related fields, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are ...
- 3,729
3
votes
Is it possible to permanently improve long-term memory?
This is what I do to store something in the long term memory.
1) Place it in the short term memory (those methods depend on the material).
Use mnemonic memory techniques.
Repeat the facts in ...
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3
votes
Will Our Brain Speed Reduce As Our Memory "Mail Boxes" Fill Up?
There is research showing that Black Cab taxi drivers while training with 'the knowledge' (2 months on a moped with an A-Z, learning every road/route in London) grew larger areas of brain grey matter ...
- 61
3
votes
Accepted
Why do we forget what we try to remember?
What you are describing may be the tip of the tongue (TOT) phenomenon.
There are two major explanations for this: the direct-access view and the inferential view.
The direct-access view: the memory ...
- 1,760
2
votes
Is remembering a list of words an example of semantic or episodic memory?
The answer is episodic. Episodic memory is responsible for storing information about events (or episodes) we have experienced; whereas semantic is for storing information about the world, such as the ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
A type of long-term memory where I can remember full dialogues
the cognitive skills of a human population have a great variance. I am more like your friend, with episodic memory below average but semantic memory above average. You seem to have episodic memory ...
2
votes
Accepted
How long could Henry Molaison keep his memory of the present?
The original paper describing Patient HM is available online, and makes for fascinating reading: Scoville, W. B., Milner, B. 1957. Loss of
recent memory after bilateral hippocampal lesions. J Neurol ...
- 316
2
votes
How to detect which memory is being used when answering a yes or no question?
It depends whether the answers are well known facts. If I know well my name, the color of my hair and whether I can ride a bike then semantic memory is used to answer these questions. If I have a ...
- 2,137
2
votes
Low crystalized intelligence- failure to transfer skill from Hippocampus to cortex?
First we need to establish the link between crystallized intelligence and the types of memory. Long term memory can be divided in two parts: Procedural and declarative.
Episodic memory is ...
- 404
2
votes
Accepted
Best ways to improve memory
You can read book: Trick of the mind - Derren Brown. Derren Brown is a mentalist and in his book you have very powerfull methods to improve your memory based on natural mental processes.
The easiest ...
- 62
2
votes
Best ways to improve memory
Your best bet is to start looking on YouTube and the Internet for various memory methods used by card memorizers, magicians, and other stunt people. I have used them extensively, and they work. You ...
- 200
2
votes
How are real life events translated into dream symbolism?
We do not know a lot about how dreams work yet. However, there are some theories out there. One theory of particular interest is that are dreams are a means of reverse learning.
In 1983
Francis ...
- 3,672
2
votes
Memorization of incorrect math facts
The idea that long term memory cannot be ever changes is absolutely wrong, for sure some thing that is learnt and practice for a long time while being a child has a difficulty to change after while, ...
- 216
2
votes
Is there a non-interactive alternative to the concept of SuperMemo/spaced repetition?
So basically [for me] this question is whether there exists a learning model informed by the structure and usage of the Chinese writing.
The answer is yes, see for example Loach & Wang (2016):
...
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2
votes
Accepted
Is there a non-interactive alternative to the concept of SuperMemo/spaced repetition?
Spaced repetition is based off the forgetting curve. Each review per day strengthens the memory:
Both Anki flashcards and SuperMemo also utilize the Leitner (box) system:
(Animation by Zirguezi - ...
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1
vote
Interpretation of facts in dream
Freud's psychic apparatus is pure theoretical psychology, which isn't cognition's best friend.
It's really hard to think how one could map the 3 construct to cognition (perhaps id is the easiest - ...
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