Tidbit #4 - March 30, 2011

Question: What causes someone to forget something?


Answer: Think back to Tidbit #2 (how we make memories). Remember how I wrote that each memory is really a pattern of links between neurons?

My guess is that you forget something if you don't repeat that pattern of neuron links, which means you don't repeat the activity enough.

So, for example, let's say you've learned the formula: sin(2Θ)=2sin(Θ)cos(Θ). That's a lot to remember, right? It's because that's a special pattern of links between neurons in your brain. Every time you say that formula, or think about it, those linked neurons send impulses to each other, causing the formula to be remembered, therefore strengthening the memory.

But if you spend the week on your chemistry homework instead of your math homework, the neuron links will become weaker and weaker, making it harder for you to remember that formula.

If you have any tidbits you'd like to offer, comment on the post with your idea. Who knows? You might get it on the blog.