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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[@mikesmith2905]

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

[@964tractorboy]

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!

[@stephanieparker1250]

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

[@hyperduality2838]

Information is dual:- Association (integration, syntropy) is dual to disassociation (differentiation, entropy). The future is dual to the past -- time duality or time asymmetry. We predict the future (syntropy) and remember the past (memory). Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. Mathematicians create or synthesize new concepts or ideas all the time from their perceptions, measurements, observations or intuitions -- a syntropic process, teleological. Syntax is dual to semantics -- languages or communication, all languages are dual. If mathematics is a language then it is dual. Categories (form, syntax, objective) are dual to sets (substance, semantics, subjective). Synthetic a priori knowledge -- Immanuel Kant or knowledge is dual. The tetrahedron is self dual. The cube is dual to the octahedron. The dodecahedron is dual to the icosahedron -- Platonic solids. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Vectors (contravariant) are dual to to co vectors (covariant) -- dual bases or Riemann curvature is dual! Positive curvature (dark matter) is dual to negative curvature (dark energy) -- Gauss or Riemann geometry. Dark energy or repulsive gravity is negative curvature or hyperbolic space (inflation) -- divergent. Gravitation is equivalent or dual (isomorphic) to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Curvature or gravitation is dual hence dark energy is dual! "Always two there are" -- Yoda. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Enantiodromia is the unconscious opposite or opposame (duality) -- Carl Jung. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! "The brain is a prediction machine" -- Karl Friston, neuroscientist. If knowledge is dual then information is dual:- Average information (entropy) is dual to mutual or co-information (syntropy) -- information is dual.

[@christopherchilton-smith6482]

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.

[@electronics.unmessed]

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

[@hyperduality2838]

Association (integration, syntropy) is dual to disassociation (differentiation, entropy). The future is dual to the past -- time duality or time asymmetry. We predict the future (syntropy) and remember the past (memory). Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. Mathematicians create or synthesize new concepts or ideas all the time from their perceptions, measurements, observations or intuitions -- a syntropic process, teleological. Syntax is dual to semantics -- languages or communication, all languages are dual. If mathematics is a language then it is dual. Categories (form, syntax, objective) are dual to sets (substance, semantics, subjective). Synthetic a priori knowledge -- Immanuel Kant or knowledge is dual. The tetrahedron is self dual. The cube is dual to the octahedron. The dodecahedron is dual to the icosahedron -- Platonic solids. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Vectors (contravariant) are dual to to co vectors (covariant) -- dual bases or Riemann curvature is dual! Positive curvature (dark matter) is dual to negative curvature (dark energy) -- Gauss or Riemann geometry. Dark energy or repulsive gravity is negative curvature or hyperbolic space (inflation) -- divergent. Gravitation is equivalent or dual (isomorphic) to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Curvature or gravitation is dual hence dark energy is dual! "Always two there are" -- Yoda. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Enantiodromia is the unconscious opposite or opposame (duality) -- Carl Jung. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! "The brain is a prediction machine" -- Karl Friston, neuroscientist. If knowledge is dual then information is dual:- Average information (entropy) is dual to mutual or co-information (syntropy) -- information is dual.

[@JudgeFredd]

Fascinating

[@Feechlamana534]

Sorry I forgot, how does what work again?

[@Crux69]

I'm so excited! ... to... remember why.

[@darrell20741]

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

[@hyperduality2838]

Association (integration, syntropy) is dual to disassociation (differentiation, entropy). The future is dual to the past -- time duality or time asymmetry. We predict the future (syntropy) and remember the past (memory). Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. Mathematicians create or synthesize new concepts or ideas all the time from their perceptions, measurements, observations or intuitions -- a syntropic process, teleological. Syntax is dual to semantics -- languages or communication, all languages are dual. If mathematics is a language then it is dual. Categories (form, syntax, objective) are dual to sets (substance, semantics, subjective). Synthetic a priori knowledge -- Immanuel Kant or knowledge is dual. The tetrahedron is self dual. The cube is dual to the octahedron. The dodecahedron is dual to the icosahedron -- Platonic solids. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Vectors (contravariant) are dual to to co vectors (covariant) -- dual bases or Riemann curvature is dual! Positive curvature (dark matter) is dual to negative curvature (dark energy) -- Gauss or Riemann geometry. Dark energy or repulsive gravity is negative curvature or hyperbolic space (inflation) -- divergent. Gravitation is equivalent or dual (isomorphic) to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Curvature or gravitation is dual hence dark energy is dual! "Always two there are" -- Yoda. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Enantiodromia is the unconscious opposite or opposame (duality) -- Carl Jung. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! "The brain is a prediction machine" -- Karl Friston, neuroscientist. If knowledge is dual then information is dual:- Average information (entropy) is dual to mutual or co-information (syntropy) -- information is dual.

[@darrell20741]

@@hyperduality2838 Thank you

[@Hecarim420]

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''.

[@edibleapeman2]

What is the physical difference between a memory of a dream and a memory of a waking event?

[@Safetytrousers]

Probably none. The respective memories have to be encoded in the same way.

[@henk-3098]

they are pretty similar, the way I understand it is that the signal of a real memory is much stronger than that of a dream and that's the way the brain tells them apart. But the line between the 2 can become fuzzy sometimes as you wonder whether something truly happened or if you've dreamed it.

[@Safetytrousers]

@@henk-3098 That's not quite true. I remember in far more detail the dreams I do remember, than I remember of most reality. One of my earliest memories is of dreams I had, and I remember those early dreams with more clarity than any early memory of reality. I can do a greatest hits of my dreams.

[@souadbauer164]

🙏

[@Kalense]

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

[@bcase5328]

What about the difference between "Working" memory and Episodic memory?

[@fortynine3225]

Memory is a tricky thing since you are dealing with the unconscious and with your personality. For a person it is best that memory is not to much developed really because that way a human as a refined complex system works best. The unconscious wants you to know only so much of what is really going on that is why most is going on under the hood and your personality, in a broad sence, will basically not accept what goes against it. All that is going on in your head, which includes memory, is subjective and situation based. So we are not robots and should be careful with defining what memory is and be careful pushing for a super memory.

[@idegteke]

Not being able to remember some of the things we used to remember, alone, does not prove that memory is, in fact, stored at the given location where a certain brain injury happened. Just because a certain spot in the brain is crucial for remembering to some memories, it does not mean that the information is, in fact, stored there. It’s like proving that the grasshopper hears with its feet by removing the feet and give it the previously tested command to “jump”.

[@juliarekamie]

🙏🏻 connectomics is the next thing coming 🦭

[@PoulHansenDK]

Can we have another seance with questions from the audience(us)? I would like to know why memory gets worse when getting older, even without any disease? Why are names more difficult to remember than f.x. faces? And the one BIG question: What can we do to maintain or even improve our memory on a daily basis?

[@hyperduality2838]

Association (integration, syntropy) is dual to disassociation (differentiation, entropy). The future is dual to the past -- time duality or time asymmetry. We predict the future (syntropy) and remember the past (memory). Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. Mathematicians create or synthesize new concepts or ideas all the time from their perceptions, measurements, observations or intuitions -- a syntropic process, teleological. Syntax is dual to semantics -- languages or communication, all languages are dual. If mathematics is a language then it is dual. Categories (form, syntax, objective) are dual to sets (substance, semantics, subjective). Synthetic a priori knowledge -- Immanuel Kant or knowledge is dual. The tetrahedron is self dual. The cube is dual to the octahedron. The dodecahedron is dual to the icosahedron -- Platonic solids. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Vectors (contravariant) are dual to to co vectors (covariant) -- dual bases or Riemann curvature is dual! Positive curvature (dark matter) is dual to negative curvature (dark energy) -- Gauss or Riemann geometry. Dark energy or repulsive gravity is negative curvature or hyperbolic space (inflation) -- divergent. Gravitation is equivalent or dual (isomorphic) to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Curvature or gravitation is dual hence dark energy is dual! "Always two there are" -- Yoda. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Enantiodromia is the unconscious opposite or opposame (duality) -- Carl Jung. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! "The brain is a prediction machine" -- Karl Friston, neuroscientist. If knowledge is dual then information is dual:- Average information (entropy) is dual to mutual or co-information (syntropy) -- information is dual.

[@stellarwind1946]

Quality sleep is probably the best way to improve or conserve memory processing.

[@TomiTapio]

8:30 see also how psychiatrists/therapists implanted memories of abuse. "change the past, in your memory"

[@innerfield5481]

Great episode.

[@oaktadopbok665]

The true and correct answer is "We don't know how memory works. We are just guessing."

[@Safetytrousers]

We do have some idea of how it works. Neurons have a strong role in it. That is knowing something.

[@hyperduality2838]

Association (integration, syntropy) is dual to disassociation (differentiation, entropy). The future is dual to the past -- time duality or time asymmetry. We predict the future (syntropy) and remember the past (memory). Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. Mathematicians create or synthesize new concepts or ideas all the time from their perceptions, measurements, observations or intuitions -- a syntropic process, teleological. Syntax is dual to semantics -- languages or communication, all languages are dual. If mathematics is a language then it is dual. Categories (form, syntax, objective) are dual to sets (substance, semantics, subjective). Synthetic a priori knowledge -- Immanuel Kant or knowledge is dual. The tetrahedron is self dual. The cube is dual to the octahedron. The dodecahedron is dual to the icosahedron -- Platonic solids. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Vectors (contravariant) are dual to to co vectors (covariant) -- dual bases or Riemann curvature is dual! Positive curvature (dark matter) is dual to negative curvature (dark energy) -- Gauss or Riemann geometry. Dark energy or repulsive gravity is negative curvature or hyperbolic space (inflation) -- divergent. Gravitation is equivalent or dual (isomorphic) to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Curvature or gravitation is dual hence dark energy is dual! "Always two there are" -- Yoda. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Enantiodromia is the unconscious opposite or opposame (duality) -- Carl Jung. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! "The brain is a prediction machine" -- Karl Friston, neuroscientist. If knowledge is dual then information is dual:- Average information (entropy) is dual to mutual or co-information (syntropy) -- information is dual.

[@JackGladstoneHolroyde]

It's true, but it's not the whole truth or the only truth, because it ends the conversation. The scientific method isn't about ending the conversation, it's about trying to find explanations for what we see and not allow conversations to end as if we have the whole picture.

[@TaimazHavadar]

پرفسور یه سوال داشتم در لحظه ای پلک هامون رو میبندیم و و نمیبینیم ،چه تغییری در امواج مغزی و کورتکس جلو و نورون ها و ارتباطشون تفاق می افته ؟ وسوال دوم اون بخش از تار عصبیه چشم که دو شاخه میشود درمسیر جلوی چشم ( عنبیه و...) به مغز اون دوشاخه دقیقا به دلیلیه و چرا مسیرهاشون متفاوت است و چرا تماس دارند باهم ؟ و اینکه آزمایش بوهای نوستالژیک رو برای آلزایمزیها انجام داده اید (یاوآوری به بوها) ؟ نتیجه داشته اگر انجام شده ؟ با تشکر 🙏🙏🙏💚💚💚💚

[@chrisprobert6]

Normally i watch all RI videos Bit scared of this one. Had life altering happening in 2021 Memory has gone quantum since then. Even remembering individual, LSD trips😮

[@hyperduality2838]

Association (integration, syntropy) is dual to disassociation (differentiation, entropy). The future is dual to the past -- time duality or time asymmetry. We predict the future (syntropy) and remember the past (memory). Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. Mathematicians create or synthesize new concepts or ideas all the time from their perceptions, measurements, observations or intuitions -- a syntropic process, teleological. Syntax is dual to semantics -- languages or communication, all languages are dual. If mathematics is a language then it is dual. Categories (form, syntax, objective) are dual to sets (substance, semantics, subjective). Synthetic a priori knowledge -- Immanuel Kant or knowledge is dual. The tetrahedron is self dual. The cube is dual to the octahedron. The dodecahedron is dual to the icosahedron -- Platonic solids. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Vectors (contravariant) are dual to to co vectors (covariant) -- dual bases or Riemann curvature is dual! Positive curvature (dark matter) is dual to negative curvature (dark energy) -- Gauss or Riemann geometry. Dark energy or repulsive gravity is negative curvature or hyperbolic space (inflation) -- divergent. Gravitation is equivalent or dual (isomorphic) to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Curvature or gravitation is dual hence dark energy is dual! "Always two there are" -- Yoda. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Enantiodromia is the unconscious opposite or opposame (duality) -- Carl Jung. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! "The brain is a prediction machine" -- Karl Friston, neuroscientist. If knowledge is dual then information is dual:- Average information (entropy) is dual to mutual or co-information (syntropy) -- information is dual.

[@johncribb1408]

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

[@timberrr1126]

Advertisers know, repetition works well.

[@vblaas246]

Advertisers know, repetition works

[@glynnevans4531]

Hand waving psychology. The emphasis on connectivity is making a virtue from necessity. The brain chemistry is in aqueous solution. Unlike a MOSFET transistor gateway - "state" cannot be maintained. In a CPU states that persist virtually indefintely can be retrieved via electrical paths close to instataneously. Electromagnetic waves in free electrons around a fixed lattice of positive ions. So called "circuitry" in the brain does not work like this. A CPU can recall states from an addressed set of registers which todether encode something like a word or a number. The brain has no such persistent registers. Connections are positive ion pathways. Ions flow as ports open and close in response to stimulus. When they reach a synapse what crosses the gap is not an electric spark. In short memory and in particular encoding memory is in no way "explained" by being able to image collections of connected neurons "connected" with things or concepts. Explain how to interpret a set of connections as an encoding of a thing or concept. It can't be done. This discussion is about psychology not neuroscience. The discussion is about the experiences we feel in learning it has no explanation about how things we can all identify in the real world are stored in anyone's brain in a way in which they could be retrieved and decoded.

[@matthewwakeham2206]

With regard to keys what happens is you put them down in one universe but you are looking for them in a parallel one until causality catches up and you find them in the first place you looked.

[@kentvanschuyler9520]

Garage mécanique+++

[@valboolin3538]

Танцуя

[@ahsanmohammed1]

0:15 Moment she mentioned, book, I paused the video! It will be a 30 minute tease to get us to buy the book! Will not learn anything. Will not watch further.

[@avg4015]

What about Alzheimer and fast food consumption? What about people hlwho teach themselves to not remember? Many question left....

[@Safetytrousers]

They can't cover everything in this time span. You can't voluntarily erase a memory, but you can alter how you react to it, and how often you recall it.

[@Dr.Z.Moravcik-inventor-of-AGI]

Hi, imagine that you are not needed anymore. Is this a memory disease or this a harsh reality?

[@UnkleSi]

Very light, not very illuminating. Certainly he's no Sapolsky

[@Safetytrousers]

He can probably talk about this in much more depth and detail, but he is tailoring what he is saying to the context.

[@hyperduality2838]

Association (integration, syntropy) is dual to disassociation (differentiation, entropy). The future is dual to the past -- time duality or time asymmetry. We predict the future (syntropy) and remember the past (memory). Concepts are dual to percepts -- the mind duality of Immanuel Kant. Mathematicians create or synthesize new concepts or ideas all the time from their perceptions, measurements, observations or intuitions -- a syntropic process, teleological. Syntax is dual to semantics -- languages or communication, all languages are dual. If mathematics is a language then it is dual. Categories (form, syntax, objective) are dual to sets (substance, semantics, subjective). Synthetic a priori knowledge -- Immanuel Kant or knowledge is dual. The tetrahedron is self dual. The cube is dual to the octahedron. The dodecahedron is dual to the icosahedron -- Platonic solids. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein. Dark energy is dual to dark matter. Vectors (contravariant) are dual to to co vectors (covariant) -- dual bases or Riemann curvature is dual! Positive curvature (dark matter) is dual to negative curvature (dark energy) -- Gauss or Riemann geometry. Dark energy or repulsive gravity is negative curvature or hyperbolic space (inflation) -- divergent. Gravitation is equivalent or dual (isomorphic) to acceleration -- Einstein's happiest thought, the principle of equivalence (duality). Curvature or gravitation is dual hence dark energy is dual! "Always two there are" -- Yoda. Addition is dual to subtraction (additive inverses) -- abstract algebra. Multiplication is dual to division (multiplicative inverses) -- abstract algebra. Enantiodromia is the unconscious opposite or opposame (duality) -- Carl Jung. Syntropy (prediction) is dual to increasing entropy -- the 4th law of thermodynamics! "The brain is a prediction machine" -- Karl Friston, neuroscientist. If knowledge is dual then information is dual:- Average information (entropy) is dual to mutual or co-information (syntropy) -- information is dual.

[@frogz]

love the url, lol v=_uOLii9sDiE i'll remember this url