by Alex (Dec 4, 2004)

For the last 15 years scientists have discovered a lot of things about memory.

First of all, there is no particular place where memories are stored because they are in all the brain. Memory does not appear immediately. There are two steps : in a short time, it takes place in the sensory memory, and then it is prepared to be stored in the long time memory.

There are 3 different kinds of memory :

• the occasional memory for personal events (in a precise place)
• the semantic memory for culture
• the daily life memory (driving, reading ...)

The memory is never saturated. It is more or less important according to the persons and their ages. Moreover it is not composed of "photographs" because all senses are used.

Children have a beginning of memory between 3 and 5 years old, and an adult is able to remember more things after his first ten years.

Memories are never identical to reality. After an accident, the brain may forget some memories or create others that never were.

When we sleep, while we are dreaming, the brain integrates the information.

Can you describe, without looking at it before, the right side of a 10-euro note? Can’t you ? Maybe you never look at it although you often use it. This example shows that to remember some information, we must have a good perception, we have to be concentrated and motivated.

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