Summary of “The mystery of memory”

Sciences of memory are only a century old. Psychologist discovered that there are short-term and long-term memories.

To start with, long-term memory is divided into procedural memory and declarative memory. Procedural memory is more stable than declarative. Recovering memory is divided into recall and recognition. Recognizing is easier than recalling.

What is more, “eidetic” - photographic memory. All have this memory in childhood, but most lose it when they grow old.

In addition, human brain consists of brain cells and memories are made by making connections between brain cells. To retrieve missing information it is useful to try to remember information associated with the one which is missing.

To sum up, neuroscientists are trying to explain how coherent conscious experience is made. By that they are improving our life.