The neuroscience of memory - Ri Science Podcast with Charan Ranganath

Why is it that we can vividly remember a particular smell from years ago, but can’t remember where we put our keys a mere few hours prior? This month, we’re joined by renowned neuroscientist and author Dr Charan Ranganath to discuss how and why we remember. Charan is a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, and Director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at UC Davis, and has recently released his first book ‘Why We Remember’. Charan takes us on a journey through our own minds, and a forward look at the future of memory research.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. This podcast was recorded in February 2024.

Producer: Lia Hale
Assistant producer: Freddie Rodgers
Interviewer: Lisa Derry
Music: Joseph Sandy

0:00 Introduction
0:40 Journey into memory research
2:27 How does memory work?
4:09 Episodic vs Semantic memory
7:00 Mental time travel
8:49 Memory retrieval cues
10:20 Memory misconceptions
13:14 Neuroscience through the years
15:08 Memory loss in disease
19:00 How AI will impact our memory
21:04 Memory and creativity
26:16 The secret to remembering
29:50 Substances that inhibit our memory
33:33 One key takeaway

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[tractorboy]

A great interview. I was continually amazed how the interviewer resisted the urge to interrupt with more questions based on what Charan had just said. Certainly left me wanting a lot more. Thank you!

[mikesmith]

This chap is a born educator. Excellent summary of the current research.

[stephanieparker]

Great information, I especially liked the section discussing studying and exam taking. Thank you for a great video!

[jmanj]

20:35 Yessir, Doc. That's exactly what I've been trying and (I think) doing successfully, to help with fixing my memory.
It's good to hear it again.
Thank you.
🙂

[saivaraprasad]

Such an insightful explanation..my perspective of the memory concept has been so narrow..this video opened me how big and intricate the concept of memory is..

The closing line -
" if we are not aware of the influence of our memory on our choices and behaviour, then memory would be the driver and we would just be the copilot"
An eye opener totally!!

Thank you for creating such good content.

[saschakuhl]

Conclusive generalisation by update through different contexts is great

[jayachandranthampi]

Memory updation - like time travel. More interesting is the potential in that to rewire & rewrite memory, to a more favourable way. Doesn’t mean to change past but to use past in a better way. Thats like genetic engineering but at a user level...So, recalling events & colouring or associating them differently is to use them positively. Meditation, conscious sleep etc sounds to be methodology. Intention driven sleep so that when memory consolidation happens, its either made less or more intense, as we desire. This might help to work on Auto mode functions like training the body for a specific action. Even for addictions also. Isnt that living process itself is? Living memories and try to make them less personal, in a new or different context.

[FelixLaManna]

Sorry I forgot, how does what work again?

[Kalense]

I would have liked to hear something about extremes of memory - hyperthymesia and hypothymesia or athymesia (aka severely deficient autobiographical memory).

[electronics.unmessed]

👍 Great information, explaining important differences between human and artificial intelligence.

[christopherchilton-smith]

We are changed by what happens to us. Nobody is in the driver's seat, understanding your own behavior is something that happens to you and when it does it changes you.

[Hecarim]

Neurons with theirs connections & their varietes are able to RECREATE memory. It's workikng like bits of information, so that's why you can adapt/regenerate memory overall, but it might get more & more disorded. It's easier for your brain ''remember/activate'' those ones you feeled (personally) more. Your brain is not enemy, so usually he is trying hide traumatic one (deepper or not, it's always spectrum of possibilities/randomnes)from being on ''home page display'' unless depression/mental illness. Learning buffing your memory possibilites a lot, I assure you. If you are honest & you ''know yourself'' you can notice things and with little tuning/statistic should be able to ''remember more with hmm better precision''.

[johncribb]

32:17 I think memory is the result of chemical changes in the synapses and neurons are adding machines.

[saschakuhl]

Cascading conclusion can be a chain reaction, recursively or by iteration?

[Chiral]

mental time travel is such a nice term

[saschakuhl]

Is hippocampus a kind of adressing both episodic or semantic?

[darrell]

I want to remember this episode in full, but I do plan to watch it again later, if I remember to do that.

[narayanaraokdsss]

Best way recollect buy time loud voice of human mind for the information

[saschakuhl]

Is hippocampus only episodic or do we find semantic on the right side

[whb]

Can’t get the book on Audible in the USA
:(