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If we’re talking best and worst, I’m probably somewhere near the top of the bottom third. I can remember plenty of unimportant things with ease: lines from old movies, commercial jingles, the geography of places I’ll probably never go again. But when it comes to remembering everything my wife asked me to pick up at the grocery store, or my friends’ birthdays or how to do calculus, my memory is like a leaky bucket. For instance, it’s been bothering me recently that I can’t for the life of me remember what I did on my eighteenth birthday. (It was certainly tame, so no substance-induced blackouts can explain this particular hole in my personal timeline.) Alas. What do you have trouble remembering?
To put all this in perspective, consider the cases of A.J. and E.P., who have quite possibly the best and worst memories in the world, respectively. (The following are excerpts from an Oct. 2007 National Geographic article.)
The best: A.J.
There is a 41-year-old woman, an administrative assistant from California known in the medical literature only as “AJ,” who remembers almost every day of her life since age 11. “My memory flows like a movie—nonstop and uncontrollable,” says AJ. She remembers that at 12:34 p.m. on Sunday, August 3, 1986, a young man she had a crush on called her on the telephone. She remembers what happened on Murphy Brown on December 12, 1988. And she remembers that on March 28, 1992, she had lunch with her father at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She remembers world events and trips to the grocery store, the weather and her emotions. Virtually every day is there. She’s not easily stumped.
There have been a handful of people over the years with uncommonly good memories. Kim Peek, the 56-year-old savant who inspired the movie Rain Man, is said to have memorized nearly 12,000 books (he reads a page in 8 to 10 seconds). “S,” a Russian journalist studied for three decades by the Russian neuropsychologist Alexander Luria, could remember impossibly long strings of words, numbers, and nonsense syllables years after he’d first heard them. But AJ is unique. Her extraordinary memory is not for facts or figures, but for her own life.
The worst: E.P.
EP is six-foot-two (1.9 meters), with perfectly parted white hair and unusually long ears. He’s personable, friendly, gracious. He laughs a lot. He seems at first like your average genial grandfather. But 15 years ago, the herpes simplex virus chewed its way through his brain, coring it like an apple. By the time the virus had run its course, two walnut-size chunks of brain matter in the medial temporal lobes had disappeared, and with them most of EP’s memory.
The virus struck with freakish precision. The medial temporal lobes—there’s one on each side of the brain—include an arch-shaped structure called the hippocampus and several adjacent regions that together perform the magical feat of turning our perceptions into long-term memories. The memories aren’t actually stored in the hippocampus—they reside elsewhere, in the brain’s corrugated outer layers, the neocortex—but the hippocampal area is the part of the brain that makes them stick. EP’s hippocampus was destroyed, and without it he is like a camcorder without a working tape head. He sees, but he doesn’t record.
EP wears a metal medical alert bracelet around his left wrist. Even though it’s obvious what it’s for, I ask him anyway. He turns his wrist over and casually reads it. “Hmm. It says memory loss.”
EP doesn’t even remember that he has a memory problem. That is something he discovers anew every moment. And since he forgets that he always forgets, every lost thought seems like just a casual slip—an annoyance and nothing more—the same way it would to you or me. Ever since his sickness, space for EP has existed only as far as he can see it. His social universe is only as large as the people in the room. He lives under a narrow spotlight, surrounded by darkness.
Comments (21)
Comment
That article was published in National Geographic Magazine. Hah! You forgot to mention that!
The article is all about what constitutes memory in our brains and is actually very good. Highly recommended.
posted by Jmchez on 12-5-2007 at 10:56 am
Ransom, your opening paragraph is eerily familiar to me, apparently it is very annoying to my girlfriend. You need to track down any research out there that helps people who can quote pointless movie lines, but always forget to buy the milk at the grocery store!
posted by Jason on 12-5-2007 at 10:56 am
Memory is what initially drew me to this site. I can remember tons of useless and trivial information. Most of the time in school I just took tests from memory, if I read it, I can generally draw it up.
That said, I have great difficulty remembering day to day things like what to pick up from the grocery or when the garbage pick up is. I find I have to write my self notes or constatnly think of the task or else I will forget it until too late.
I can still remember how to get from my old apartment to my old job, even what the normal bus driver looked like. I can also remember where all the stuff was located on the shelves at said job. But I have to really think about what I am going to do this weekend.
posted by Dusty on 12-5-2007 at 11:13 am
My short-term memory is very good. Freakish, actually. I can also remember stupid things like where we put the orange extension cord when we moved a year ago. Or where I las saw my husband’s wallet. But my long term memory? TERRIBLE!
I can’t remember anything from middle school. High school (I graduated eight years ago) is a blur. It seems that anything further than two years back starts to fade from my memory.
Luckily, my husband has an awesome long-term memory, but a terrible short-term. So it balances out. :)
posted by Erin on 12-5-2007 at 11:24 am
I have an awful memory, and often have extended arguments with my sister over (usually happy!) memories from our childhood.
I also seem to have a bad memory for ordering things online. But when they come in the mail, it’s like Christmas! Look what I got! Wow!
posted by Sarah on 12-5-2007 at 11:44 am
Jason,
I hear that complaint about movie line quoting at work. I work with mostly females and they always comment that their husbadns seem to be able to quote movies ad naseum. I think it has to do with the fact that by and large, men will repeatedly watch the same movie much more than women.
When I was younger, whenever my Mom would find an odd piece of a game, electronic device, or vaious knicknacks, she would show it to me and I could tell her exactly what it was or where it came from.
posted by Dusty on 12-5-2007 at 11:56 am
I think my long-term memory is slightly better than my short-term, and I definitely have a huge capacity for useless items, as well (which makes me an arrogant Jeopardy! viewer). However, what concerns me is my lack of present memory, rather my inability to recall figures, names, data that are being discussed at the moment of the conversation. Here is why I sound like a complete ass at work:
Co-worker:”Did you get the profile loaded for Thompson’s PMV and the copy ready for 77254?”
Me:”Yeah, but, uh… who was it with the PMV that we were talking about?”
Co-worker: “Thompson?”
Me:”Yeah, he’s not live. And the copy for, umm… 75427? Err - I mean, whoever the other person is, their, uh, stuff is in your folder.”
Maybe I just can’t recall well while under pressure (especially the not-so-forceful pressure of casual work-related conversation).
At any rate, two more points. One, somtimes I’m not sure if something I recall is a memory or just something I imagined. The line between what I’ve thought about and what I’ve actually seen is unnervingly thin; it’s almost as if I’ve lost my grip on reality. My boyfriend sure gets a kick out of it. He’s always countering things that I say with, “Did you just make that up?” It makes sense, though, because people sometimes remember things as they saw them, and not how they occurred. I can relate with Sarah’s comments about how she and her sister argue over memories from childhood - while I think I’m usually more factually correct than she is, we usually agree to disagree on the basis that we both experienced it differently.
And two, I met and interviewed Kim Peek, the man who inspired the movie Rain Man. He sounded like a robot at times; when he would regurgitate the information he would occasionally make these computer-like grinding noises, and I was sure he was going to say “Danger, Will Robinson!” He IS amazing though. He’s memorized the zip codes, area codes and major highways, roads and street names to just about every place he’s ever been (which can account for his love of reading phone books.)He also has this thing where he can tell you the day of the week you were born just by knowing the date - within a matter of seconds. But he can’t groom himself without the help of his aging father. Surreal.
posted by MoneyPenny on 12-5-2007 at 12:22 pm
The ’she’ I am referring to in the above post (see following sentence)would be my sister, not Sarah.
“…I can relate with Sarah’s comments about how she and her sister argue over memories from childhood - while I think I’m usually more factually correct than she is, we usually agree to disagree on the basis that we both experienced it differently.”
posted by MoneyPenny on 12-5-2007 at 12:25 pm
I’m constantly regaling my friends and family with obscure things I’ve read on this blog. But I can’t seem to remember all of the orthopedic tests for the spine. Too bad my finals aren’t on WWII silk maps and the invention of cruise control.
posted by Katie B. on 12-5-2007 at 12:36 pm
i think i have a pretty standard memory when it comes to the long and short term stuff. what is odd, is that when i meet new people, i remember the first initial of their name basically always. so later in passing when i try to bring up their name, i always say, “it was that ‘p’ person”. it works out great, people are impressed generally when i can give them the first letter of their name even if i only met them briefly. once i’ve met the person a couple more times i have their full name.
but it doesn’t work out so good with my boyfriend’s friends, they all have ‘j’ names.. i can’t figure them out.
posted by tami on 12-5-2007 at 12:51 pm
I have an incredible memory for song lyrics. Not necessarily the title, artist, or album, just the lyrics. I can say all 50 states in alphabetical order because I learned it in a song in the 2nd grade. (Which was about 20 years ago. Ugh.) I also have a great memory for faces. I’ll recognize someone and, although it might take me a while to place them, I’ll realize that they used to be a cashier at a supermarket I went to years ago. I’m horrible with names, though.
I also have to say that I relate to MoneyPenny’s statement about remembering things that really happened and “remembering” things that I had actually imagined at the time. It’s pretty freaky and can make you feel like you have a tenuous grip on sanity.
posted by caitlen315 on 12-5-2007 at 12:58 pm
We have that issue of National Geographic in the lobby at work and, I perused it on a really slow day… It was fascinating, the article about memory and the people it featured.
I remember useless things… The day John Lennon was shot (December 8, 1980 and, I wasn’t even born yet), the order of the Beatles albums in chronological order, stuff like that. I guess I have a knack for remembering things people say. Everyone loves when I write a blog and include funny quotes from people.
And then, I’ll forget the things I should be remembering… The check sitting on the counter to pay my Sprint bill, picking up the mail on my way home from work, etc…
posted by Rosie on 12-5-2007 at 1:47 pm
“I remember useless things… The day John Lennon was shot (December 8, 1980 and, I wasn’t even born yet), the order of the Beatles albums in chronological order, stuff like that.”
That’s not useless! That’s essential!
posted by Sarah on 12-5-2007 at 2:18 pm
Was going to comment but forgot what the article was about.
posted by Mike on 12-5-2007 at 3:33 pm
I have what some people call a photographic memory. I can see something and then recall it with an amazing amount of detail. It worked great while I was in school as I read my notes once and could literally reread them in my mind the day of the test.
Song lyrics and movie lines are also hardwired into my memory from the second time I hear them. Oh, and I also learned the song caitlen315 was talking about (about the 50 US states… which is interesting considering I am not American and can only name a handful of Peruvian states).
posted by GTT on 12-5-2007 at 4:16 pm
On my first date with my boyfriend, we were talking about my bad long-term memory, and I made the statement “I’m bad at remembering dates.” Years later, when talking about an old boyfriend before him, I described a time that we had went to the movies. My current boyfriend exclaimed “How do you remember that? You said you don’t remember dates!” I had meant dates as in what I have to do on Friday the 3rd, not as in a date with a guy… he thought I never remembered any of the dates we’d been on!
posted by Kelsey on 12-5-2007 at 5:02 pm
I have a horrible memory!! I’m scared I won’t remember anything I’m learning in nursing school when I become a real nurse and I’m just going to blank out in a life/death situation and the patient is going to die because of ME. This is why I never plan to work in the ER.
My sisters also try to convince me that I’m insane because every time we talk about our childhood, no one ever remembers my stories. It’s sort of an ongoing joke with them. However, I can remember faces quite well. I always feel like a loser when I remember someone who went to Elementary school with me but they have no clue who I am.
posted by Leah on 12-5-2007 at 5:07 pm
I have photographic memory too. To an extent, I mean if the content has absolutely no connection to me, or I don’t understand it, I won’t remember it as well. But, even then, I will remember where information was on the page, the pictures on the page, the page number, etc. I am, however, HORRIBLE with names. I will remember your face, what we talked about, if I’ve seen your handwriting, I’ll recognize that (as a teacher, that’s a really good thing) but you’re name, nope, can’t remember it. If someone is wearing a name tag, however, I will be more likely to remember their name. (Generally, though, I have to close my eyes and actually picture the name tag to get the name, but, hey whatever it takes!)I just remember things really well. There was a game a number of years ago, Simon, where the game would give you a sequence of buttons to push and you had to remember it and re-do the sequence. I was REALLY good at that, I wish I had access to it again, I really liked that game.
posted by greenstrawberries on 12-6-2007 at 3:38 am
greenstrawberries, they still make simon, you can get it at target i’m sure. i know i’ve seen it recently.
posted by tami on 12-6-2007 at 8:16 am
I seizures in the right temporal lobe of my brain that came on as an adult. When the seizures are active they reach into that lobe (short term memories are stored in there) and randomly grab out a piece of memory and erase it. If it gets to long term memory I am fine but short term is always at risk.
I can’t count the number of times where I forgot that I had an appointment or that I saw a movie. I used to argue that things did not happen because I had no memory of them. Now I just say well my brain erased it so it is new to me.
On the other hand, I can remember things from my childhood that others cannot. For instance, my sister and I went back to our grandparents old house once. We were invited in by the owners who bought it from my grandparents and I was able to tell what remodeling had been done on the house and the yard while my sister sat there in awe becasue she didn’t remember any of it. The new owners collaborated my memory of a house I had not seen in 15 years.
posted by veetie on 12-6-2007 at 9:47 am
“E.P.” in the article reminds me a lot of my mother-in-law who has dementia (probably Alzheimer’s). She can’t remember what she can’t remember and it’s always news to her when we tell her she has a memory problem. The funny thing is that she can’t remember the stuff you would like her to and only remembers the stuff that gets her upset and causes strife in the house.
posted by zantimisfit on 12-6-2007 at 10:06 am