Memories allow us to record and store information, a central feature of our lives. Since the groundbreaking case of HM, a patient who lost the majority his hippocampus, we’ve known that this brain structure is central to forming long-term episodic memories. But we’re still unsure...
It takes more than one type of neuron to form a memory
Memory retrieval by activating engram cells in mouse models of early Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory decline and subsequent loss of broader cognitive functions. Memory decline in the early stages of AD is mostly limited to episodic memory, for which the hippocampus has a crucial role. However, it has been uncertain whether the observed amnesia in the early stages of AD is due to disrupted encoding and consolidation of...
“I think this is the guy”—The complicated confidence of eyewitness memory
Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton have every reason to be enemies.
In 1984, an intruder broke into Thompson’s apartment and raped her. She identified Cotton as the rapist in both a photo array and a live lineup. Although Cotton proclaimed his innocence, he was arrested, tried, and convicted. The prosecution’s case...
Two atoms make quantum memory, processing gate, and test of entanglement
Quantum systems are inherently fragile as any interactions with the outside world can change their state. That makes creating things like quantum memories rather challenging, since it can be hard to know if it actually preserves the information you put into it. To get around this, researchers have been looking into ways...