Charan Ranganath

You might think memories are just like your phone. You store photos and every photo is independent of each other. But that's not the way the brain does it. This is why we don't run out of capacity like your phone does. Because we're using the same neurons to code multiple memories. And so what happens is that there's a pattern of activity that's uniquely associated with my memory for you.

And a pattern of activity that's uniquely associated to other people I know. Now, to the extent that you look like people I know, those memories will be confusable to me. But if there's some way I can attend to the features that make you different from anyone else I've met, now I will have a distinctive memory.

And a pattern of activity that's uniquely associated to other people I know. Now, to the extent that you look like people I know, those memories will be confusable to me. But if there's some way I can attend to the features that make you different from anyone else I've met, now I will have a distinctive memory.

And a pattern of activity that's uniquely associated to other people I know. Now, to the extent that you look like people I know, those memories will be confusable to me. But if there's some way I can attend to the features that make you different from anyone else I've met, now I will have a distinctive memory.

And so my brain, when it's trying to pull up a memory of you, it won't be as hard because you stand out relative to all the other faces of people, right? So where this comes into play, for instance, is when people will take photos and Instagram walls when they go to places or, They're at a concert and they're taking videos.

And so my brain, when it's trying to pull up a memory of you, it won't be as hard because you stand out relative to all the other faces of people, right? So where this comes into play, for instance, is when people will take photos and Instagram walls when they go to places or, They're at a concert and they're taking videos.

And so my brain, when it's trying to pull up a memory of you, it won't be as hard because you stand out relative to all the other faces of people, right? So where this comes into play, for instance, is when people will take photos and Instagram walls when they go to places or, They're at a concert and they're taking videos.

And what you find is that people actually have a poorer memory for these experiences when they do that than when they're actually just trying to immerse themselves in the experience. And the reason is, is that when you're mindlessly taking pictures, you're not actually immersed in the details that will give you a distinctive memory.

And what you find is that people actually have a poorer memory for these experiences when they do that than when they're actually just trying to immerse themselves in the experience. And the reason is, is that when you're mindlessly taking pictures, you're not actually immersed in the details that will give you a distinctive memory.

And what you find is that people actually have a poorer memory for these experiences when they do that than when they're actually just trying to immerse themselves in the experience. And the reason is, is that when you're mindlessly taking pictures, you're not actually immersed in the details that will give you a distinctive memory.

You're just kind of like floating around trying to grab as much information as you can. And what we lose is the memory for that experience. And all we get out of it is a recording that most of us never go back to, right? So distinctiveness is hugely important.

You're just kind of like floating around trying to grab as much information as you can. And what we lose is the memory for that experience. And all we get out of it is a recording that most of us never go back to, right? So distinctiveness is hugely important.

You're just kind of like floating around trying to grab as much information as you can. And what we lose is the memory for that experience. And all we get out of it is a recording that most of us never go back to, right? So distinctiveness is hugely important.

Now, you could use the camera and say, I'm going to use this camera to take a picture of something that's so uniquely associated with this place or so uniquely associated with this moment that I will not be able to forget it. And that's where you're using the camera as a way of giving you a distinctive memory as opposed to depriving you of it. So we've gone through M, E, and D now, right?

Now, you could use the camera and say, I'm going to use this camera to take a picture of something that's so uniquely associated with this place or so uniquely associated with this moment that I will not be able to forget it. And that's where you're using the camera as a way of giving you a distinctive memory as opposed to depriving you of it. So we've gone through M, E, and D now, right?

Now, you could use the camera and say, I'm going to use this camera to take a picture of something that's so uniquely associated with this place or so uniquely associated with this moment that I will not be able to forget it. And that's where you're using the camera as a way of giving you a distinctive memory as opposed to depriving you of it. So we've gone through M, E, and D now, right?

So I is the big one, which is importance. And when I say importance, I'm not saying what you think is important in terms of your higher order self, but rather what your brain thinks is important based on evolution, right? So the things that are important, as I mentioned before, tend to be things that are emotionally evocative in some way or another or arousing in some way.

So I is the big one, which is importance. And when I say importance, I'm not saying what you think is important in terms of your higher order self, but rather what your brain thinks is important based on evolution, right? So the things that are important, as I mentioned before, tend to be things that are emotionally evocative in some way or another or arousing in some way.

So I is the big one, which is importance. And when I say importance, I'm not saying what you think is important in terms of your higher order self, but rather what your brain thinks is important based on evolution, right? So the things that are important, as I mentioned before, tend to be things that are emotionally evocative in some way or another or arousing in some way.

Being in a new place, being surprised, but also being scared. Traumas are enormously memorable, regardless of whether we want them to be. Things that are like being in a state of desire, those moments are very memorable to us.