Imagine it’s early Monday morning. You suddenly realize you forgot to pick up your dry cleaning, can’t find your keys, and have no idea what your Facebook password is. You might start to panic, thinking your memory isn’t working well. But did you know that your brain is actually designed to forget things, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing?
Psychologists have come up with theories to explain why we forget certain information, like our passwords. One theory is called decay theory. It suggests that over time, the traces of our memories fade away and eventually disappear, making it hard to retrieve them. Another theory is interference theory, which says that new memories can compete with the ones we already have. When new information is similar to something we already know, it can make it harder to remember the original memory. Sometimes, we might not even store a thought as a memory in the first place.
Neuroscientists believe that these theories might be connected at a molecular level in our brains. There’s something called a “forgetting protein” in our brains named Musashi. This protein affects how our synapses work. Synapses are structures that allow nerve cells to communicate with each other. Another protein, called Adducin, does the opposite by helping synapses grow. Remembering and forgetting is like a competition between Musashi and Adducin. Their interaction decides whether our thoughts are stored as memories or not.
In one study, researchers experimented with some ringworms, which we can think of as “teenage mutant ninja worms.” They genetically modified these worms so their brains didn’t have Musashi. Both regular and modified worms learned new things equally well, but the modified worms, without Musashi, remembered things better and were less forgetful. By studying these worms, scientists gained insights into how forgetting works, which could help us understand memory-related disorders like Alzheimer’s and find ways to treat them.
Even though it might seem helpful to remove Musashi from our brains to improve memory, it’s not that simple. Our brains forget on purpose. This ability to forget keeps our brains flexible, allowing us to learn new things. If we remembered everything, our minds would be cluttered with random information, making it hard to focus on what’s important right now. So, while forgetting your password can be annoying, it’s completely normal. As we go about our daily lives, our brains naturally balance remembering and forgetting. A little forgetfulness isn’t so bad; in fact, it can actually help us remember better in the long run.
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Conduct a simple experiment to observe memory decay. Create a list of 20 random words and study them for 5 minutes. After an hour, try to recall as many words as possible. Discuss with your classmates why some words were easier to remember than others and how decay theory might explain this.
Participate in a role-play activity where you act out scenarios demonstrating interference theory. For example, try to memorize a list of words while being given a new list. Discuss how the new information interferes with recalling the original list and relate this to real-life situations.
Engage in a debate about the roles of Musashi and Adducin proteins in memory. Divide into two groups, with one supporting Musashi’s role in forgetting and the other supporting Adducin’s role in memory retention. Use scientific evidence to support your arguments and conclude with a discussion on the balance between remembering and forgetting.
Write a short story from the perspective of a “teenage mutant ninja worm” that has been genetically modified to lack Musashi. Describe its experiences and how its memory differs from regular worms. Share your story with the class and discuss the implications of enhanced memory.
Keep a journal for a week, noting instances where forgetting was beneficial or detrimental. Reflect on how forgetting helped you focus on important tasks or how it caused inconvenience. Share your insights with the class and discuss the benefits of forgetting in daily life.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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It’s early Monday morning, and you realize you forgot to pick up your dry cleaning, can’t find your keys, and have no idea what your Facebook password is. As you start to panic, it feels like your memory isn’t working well. However, your brain is designed to forget, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Psychological theories help explain why we forget certain pieces of information, like our passwords. Decay theory suggests that we can’t retrieve information because, over time, traces of our memories fade and eventually disappear. Interference theory posits that new memories compete with existing ones; when new information is similar to a memory you already have, it can interfere with your ability to recall that memory. In some cases, we may not have even stored a thought as a memory in the first place.
Neuroscientists believe that many of these theories could be interconnected at a molecular level in the brain. There is a “forgetting protein” in our brains called Musashi, which affects the function of our synapses—structures that allow nerve cells to communicate. Another protein, Adducin, has the opposite effect and stimulates the growth of synapses. The process of remembering and forgetting is like a competition between Musashi and Adducin, and their interaction determines whether our thoughts are stabilized and stored in memory.
In one study, researchers genetically modified some ringworms—let’s call them “teenage mutant ninja worms”—so their brains didn’t contain Musashi. Both regular and mutant worms learned new information equally well, but the mutant worms, lacking Musashi, had much better recall and were less forgetful. By removing the “forgetting protein,” we gain insights into how it works, which could help us understand disorders like Alzheimer’s and how to treat them.
However, we can’t simply remove Musashi from our brains to enhance our memory. Our brains forget intentionally. This ability to lose information keeps our brains flexible, allowing us to absorb new things. If we didn’t forget, we would constantly recall all kinds of random information and struggle to focus on the present. Forgetting passwords can be frustrating, but it’s completely normal. As we navigate our daily lives, we subconsciously balance remembering and forgetting. So, a moment of forgetfulness isn’t all that bad; in fact, forgetting can actually aid in remembering.
If you haven’t already, subscribe to BrainCraft for a new episode every Thursday.
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This version maintains the core ideas while removing informal language and phrases that may be considered inappropriate or unprofessional.
Forgetting – The process by which information that was once stored in the brain is lost or becomes inaccessible over time. – Example sentence: Forgetting can occur when we don’t use certain information regularly, leading to a loss of memory over time.
Memory – The mental capacity to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. – Example sentence: Memory plays a crucial role in learning, allowing us to remember facts and experiences from the past.
Psychologists – Professionals who study mental processes and behavior to understand how people think, feel, and act. – Example sentence: Psychologists often conduct experiments to learn more about how the human brain processes information.
Decay – The gradual fading of memory traces in the brain over time, leading to forgetting. – Example sentence: The decay theory suggests that memories fade over time if they are not accessed or rehearsed.
Interference – A phenomenon where new or existing information disrupts the recall of other information. – Example sentence: Interference can occur when studying similar subjects, making it hard to remember specific details from each one.
Neurons – Specialized cells in the brain and nervous system that transmit information through electrical and chemical signals. – Example sentence: Neurons communicate with each other to process and transmit information throughout the brain and body.
Synapses – The junctions between neurons where information is transmitted from one neuron to another. – Example sentence: Synapses play a critical role in the brain’s ability to process and store information.
Musashi – A protein that is involved in the regulation of neural stem cells and plays a role in brain development and function. – Example sentence: Researchers are studying Musashi to understand its impact on brain development and potential links to neurological disorders.
Adducin – A protein that helps maintain the structure of cell membranes and is involved in synaptic plasticity, which is important for learning and memory. – Example sentence: Changes in Adducin levels can affect synaptic plasticity, influencing how well we learn and remember information.
Alzheimer’s – A progressive neurological disease that leads to memory loss and cognitive decline, commonly affecting older adults. – Example sentence: Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the buildup of plaques in the brain, which disrupts communication between neurons.
