The great art of forgetting. Yesterday I was on my way to a client's site and remembered I was climbing that evening. I had not however remembered to pack my kit before leaving for work.

We may look at forgetting as a negative, but what would it be like to remember everything? Would our mind be able to cope with all that information and how would we sort useful memories from useless? Later in this article we look at someone who never forgets and the pain and stress this can introduce. Before we do I'd like you to understand how memory works and why forgetting is as important as remembering.

New Scientist, 16th Feburary 2008:
In simple terms, new memories start life as the temporary excitation of synapses in a network of neurons. If you recall a memory, the same neural pathways are reactivated. The more times this happens, the more important the brain deems the memory to be and the more likely it is to be converted into a long-term memory, by forming permanent connections between the neurons. These connections are reinforced each time the memory is recalled, making it easier to retrieve. The brain contains so many potential synaptic connections that, in theory at least, there is no limit to the number of long-term memories that the brain can store. [End quote from New Scientist]

When reading technical books you are reminded of the same important concept throughout and now we can see the benefits of such teachings. I feel much more comfort when I'm reading a book or article and don't quite 'get' what is being said. I can now put it down to new information, a new memory which while it may be important and accurate, it will need to prove it's worth over time. Instead of reading it over and over again, move on. If it's of any value you'll come across it again in the future. This is assuming you continue reading about that topic or technology in the future. My point being, if you want to be good at something, read as much as you can about it. Worry not about understanding but about getting to the end and starting the next book or article. Mass information may prove more useful than the quality of a single source. Why though can we not just remember everything?

New Scientist, 16th Feburary 2008:
"A system that records every detail willy-nilly and makes that information accessible on an ongoing basis is one that will result in mass confusion," according to Dan Schacter of Harvard University. He says we forget because the brain has developed strategies to weed out irrelevant or out-of-date information. Efficient forgetting is a crucial part of having a fully functioning memory. When we forget something useful, he says, it just shows that this pruning system is working a little too well.[End quote from New Scientist]

A real life example of a 42 year old woman who cannot forget

New Scientist, 16th Feburary 2008:
SOME things in life are best forgotten. Unfortunately for AJ, forgetting is a luxury she can only dream of. A 42-year-old woman from California, AJ remembers every day of her life since her teens in extraordinary detail. Mention any date since 1980 and she is immediately transported back in time, picturing where she was, what she was doing, and what made the news that day. It's an ability that has baffled and amazed her family and friends for several decades, but it comes at a price. AJ is locked in a cycle of remembering that she describes as a "running movie that never stops". Even when she wants to, AJ cannot forget.[End quote from New Scientist]

Cheers
Ryan Partington