Charan Ranganath

Yes, but let's unpack this context thing, right? So now you've been, let's say, putting all the diamonds in one pile. You've been putting all the spades in another pile, right? So now I change the rule, but I don't tell you. And you put the diamonds, the queen of diamonds in the diamond pile, let's say. And now I say, nope, that's wrong.

Yes, but let's unpack this context thing, right? So now you've been, let's say, putting all the diamonds in one pile. You've been putting all the spades in another pile, right? So now I change the rule, but I don't tell you. And you put the diamonds, the queen of diamonds in the diamond pile, let's say. And now I say, nope, that's wrong.

Yes, but let's unpack this context thing, right? So now you've been, let's say, putting all the diamonds in one pile. You've been putting all the spades in another pile, right? So now I change the rule, but I don't tell you. And you put the diamonds, the queen of diamonds in the diamond pile, let's say. And now I say, nope, that's wrong.

So now you have to say, wait a minute, that was right all this time. What's going on? This is like life. This is like life, right? The thing that used to work for you no longer works. So you keep doing this, and a person with an intact brain will eventually figure out, okay, that's not working. I'll try another strategy, and then they'll learn the new rule, right? It's not easy.

So now you have to say, wait a minute, that was right all this time. What's going on? This is like life. This is like life, right? The thing that used to work for you no longer works. So you keep doing this, and a person with an intact brain will eventually figure out, okay, that's not working. I'll try another strategy, and then they'll learn the new rule, right? It's not easy.

So now you have to say, wait a minute, that was right all this time. What's going on? This is like life. This is like life, right? The thing that used to work for you no longer works. So you keep doing this, and a person with an intact brain will eventually figure out, okay, that's not working. I'll try another strategy, and then they'll learn the new rule, right? It's not easy.

It's a pain, but people will do it. This patient in particular said, kept on using the old rule. And so you have to give a series of hints going like, hmm, what's your strategy here? And they're like, they'll tell you I'm putting it according to the color. And then you, okay, well, does that appear to be working for you? And they'll go, no. And they'll just keep doing it.

It's a pain, but people will do it. This patient in particular said, kept on using the old rule. And so you have to give a series of hints going like, hmm, what's your strategy here? And they're like, they'll tell you I'm putting it according to the color. And then you, okay, well, does that appear to be working for you? And they'll go, no. And they'll just keep doing it.

It's a pain, but people will do it. This patient in particular said, kept on using the old rule. And so you have to give a series of hints going like, hmm, what's your strategy here? And they're like, they'll tell you I'm putting it according to the color. And then you, okay, well, does that appear to be working for you? And they'll go, no. And they'll just keep doing it.

They perseverate. But the interesting thing is he knows it's not working. Yeah. But he can't help himself from doing it. And so what the prefrontal cortex is, it's not about this declarative knowledge about what you should do. And I think this is very deep because I think often we get moralistic about people's actions, especially for people who have head injuries or something like that.

They perseverate. But the interesting thing is he knows it's not working. Yeah. But he can't help himself from doing it. And so what the prefrontal cortex is, it's not about this declarative knowledge about what you should do. And I think this is very deep because I think often we get moralistic about people's actions, especially for people who have head injuries or something like that.

They perseverate. But the interesting thing is he knows it's not working. Yeah. But he can't help himself from doing it. And so what the prefrontal cortex is, it's not about this declarative knowledge about what you should do. And I think this is very deep because I think often we get moralistic about people's actions, especially for people who have head injuries or something like that.

And it's like you can have all of these beliefs that you want to have, but you need the prefrontal cortex to translate these high-order beliefs, things that are very abstract, into actual concrete action. Otherwise, what you do is not going to be dictated by that knowledge. So how this relates to memory is— We're constantly barraged by information.

And it's like you can have all of these beliefs that you want to have, but you need the prefrontal cortex to translate these high-order beliefs, things that are very abstract, into actual concrete action. Otherwise, what you do is not going to be dictated by that knowledge. So how this relates to memory is— We're constantly barraged by information.

And it's like you can have all of these beliefs that you want to have, but you need the prefrontal cortex to translate these high-order beliefs, things that are very abstract, into actual concrete action. Otherwise, what you do is not going to be dictated by that knowledge. So how this relates to memory is— We're constantly barraged by information.

I think it's, I might've said something like 35 terabytes. I don't know, but it's a big number and the estimates get bigger and bigger every year. So we're barraged by information. There's no way you can even pay attention to it all, right? So you really rely on the prefrontal cortex to be able to say, this is what I'm doing right now. And everything else, it's noise.

I think it's, I might've said something like 35 terabytes. I don't know, but it's a big number and the estimates get bigger and bigger every year. So we're barraged by information. There's no way you can even pay attention to it all, right? So you really rely on the prefrontal cortex to be able to say, this is what I'm doing right now. And everything else, it's noise.

I think it's, I might've said something like 35 terabytes. I don't know, but it's a big number and the estimates get bigger and bigger every year. So we're barraged by information. There's no way you can even pay attention to it all, right? So you really rely on the prefrontal cortex to be able to say, this is what I'm doing right now. And everything else, it's noise.

Here's the signal that I need to focus on. And that's super important for memory because one of the things you see in old age is older people are bad at most memory tests. But it turns out in labs, we kind of overestimate that. And the reason we overestimate it is we're giving them a test, which is something hard. It requires a lot of focus, and it's not something they do every day. But

Here's the signal that I need to focus on. And that's super important for memory because one of the things you see in old age is older people are bad at most memory tests. But it turns out in labs, we kind of overestimate that. And the reason we overestimate it is we're giving them a test, which is something hard. It requires a lot of focus, and it's not something they do every day. But