memory

Christine Blasey Ford is sworn in ahead of testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

How Trauma Affects Memory: Scientists Weigh In On The Kavanaugh Hearing

5:01pm September 28, 2018

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Christine Blasey Ford presented her allegations against Brett Kavanaugh Thursday. He denied them. But how can either of them remember? Here's what science says about memory and trauma — and alcohol.

Science

This Is Your Brain On Ads: How Media Companies Hijack Your Attention

3:13pm April 27, 2018

How many ads have you encountered today? On this week's radio show, we discuss the insidiousness of advertising in American media.

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Science

LISTEN: Dolphins Use Targeted Echolocation To Plan Their Hunting Dives

6:00pm February 28, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

Oxygen is a precious resource for dolphins. A new study suggests they use it efficiently by remembering what they learn during a dive, then applying that information to future foraging expeditions.

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Health & Safety

A Tiny Pulse Of Electricity Can Help The Brain Form Lasting Memories

5:22pm February 06, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Technology that uses electrical stimulation to tweak the brain may eventually help people with memory problems caused by a brain injury or Alzheimer's disease.

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Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A five-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

Eating Leafy Greens Each Day Tied to Sharper Memory, Slower Decline

12:07pm February 05, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A 5-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

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A review of the evidence suggests that alerting people — by text, phone call or other method — when they're due or overdue to get a particular vaccination can boost immunization rates.

Got Your Flu Shot Yet? Consider This A Reminder

7:11am January 29, 2018

by Patti Neighmond

A research review suggests reminding people when their vaccinations are due or overdue increases the number of people who get immunized.

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As people age they may forget more because their brain waves get out of sync, new research finds.

Older Adults' Forgetfulness Tied To Faulty Brain Rhythms In Sleep

8:11am December 18, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

As people get older, brain waves that occur during deep sleep become less synchronized. This appears to disrupt a system that saves new memories.

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Want to get smarter? Brain training games don't seem to help with that.

In Memory Training Smackdown, One Method Dominates

10:06am October 23, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

A comparison of two memory training methods often used by scientists found that one was twice as good as the other. But neither succeeded in turning people into cognitive superstars.

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For a rat, "metamemory" is about knowing whether you remember that predator in the distance, researchers say. For people, knowing what we don't know can be especially useful in navigating social interactions.

From Rats To Humans, A Brain Knows When It Can't Remember

4:40pm July 28, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When we see a familiar face, we know instantly if we can remember that person's name. That's because the human brain has an ability called metamemory. Looks like rats may have that higher power, too.

Our brains can store huge amounts of information, but forgetting some of that information may actually make us smarter.

Could The Best Memory System Be One That Forgets?

3:56pm June 23, 2017

by Andrea Hsu

Forget thinking about forgetting as failure. Researchers now say that ridding our brains of irrelevant details and outdated information helps us better navigate our ever-changing world.