Charan Ranganath

One of the things we found in our research and other people have found is when, let's say if you're watching a movie and somebody changes the topic of conversation or a character comes in, something that shifts your attentional focus and shifts your understanding of what's going on, you see this big peak in activation in the hippocampus.

One of the things we found in our research and other people have found is when, let's say if you're watching a movie and somebody changes the topic of conversation or a character comes in, something that shifts your attentional focus and shifts your understanding of what's going on, you see this big peak in activation in the hippocampus.

One of the things we found in our research and other people have found is when, let's say if you're watching a movie and somebody changes the topic of conversation or a character comes in, something that shifts your attentional focus and shifts your understanding of what's going on, you see this big peak in activation in the hippocampus.

And what that seems to be related to is encoding a memory for what happened up to that point. And so we call that an event boundary. And so once you have an event boundary, it turns out you go on to the next event and you have trouble remembering the stuff that happened right before the event boundary. It's why people end up in the kitchen and they're like, what was my reason for coming here?

And what that seems to be related to is encoding a memory for what happened up to that point. And so we call that an event boundary. And so once you have an event boundary, it turns out you go on to the next event and you have trouble remembering the stuff that happened right before the event boundary. It's why people end up in the kitchen and they're like, what was my reason for coming here?

And what that seems to be related to is encoding a memory for what happened up to that point. And so we call that an event boundary. And so once you have an event boundary, it turns out you go on to the next event and you have trouble remembering the stuff that happened right before the event boundary. It's why people end up in the kitchen and they're like, what was my reason for coming here?

And it's because they passed through three different rooms and their sense of where they were was changing, their mental context. updated to the point where now they have to work to figure it out, right? So this is what's happening when we are shifting between different tasks. I'm texting and I'm emailing and then I'm talking to you.

And it's because they passed through three different rooms and their sense of where they were was changing, their mental context. updated to the point where now they have to work to figure it out, right? So this is what's happening when we are shifting between different tasks. I'm texting and I'm emailing and then I'm talking to you.

And it's because they passed through three different rooms and their sense of where they were was changing, their mental context. updated to the point where now they have to work to figure it out, right? So this is what's happening when we are shifting between different tasks. I'm texting and I'm emailing and then I'm talking to you.

Or as you've probably seen in going to conferences, people, scientists, scientists who know better are sitting typing emails while someone is giving, I've done this because I'm attentionally impaired or I'm impaired. Actually ADHD is a cognitive control issue, I think, but Nonetheless, it's like I do this, right?

Or as you've probably seen in going to conferences, people, scientists, scientists who know better are sitting typing emails while someone is giving, I've done this because I'm attentionally impaired or I'm impaired. Actually ADHD is a cognitive control issue, I think, but Nonetheless, it's like I do this, right?

Or as you've probably seen in going to conferences, people, scientists, scientists who know better are sitting typing emails while someone is giving, I've done this because I'm attentionally impaired or I'm impaired. Actually ADHD is a cognitive control issue, I think, but Nonetheless, it's like I do this, right?

So it's like I get it, but it's like you are now creating this fragments of memories where it's not I have a cohesive conversation. I have a little bit. I got a little bit more. I got a little bit more. And those fragments of memory don't play together well in memory. They can compete with each other. And that competition is a big part of forgetting.

So it's like I get it, but it's like you are now creating this fragments of memories where it's not I have a cohesive conversation. I have a little bit. I got a little bit more. I got a little bit more. And those fragments of memory don't play together well in memory. They can compete with each other. And that competition is a big part of forgetting.

So it's like I get it, but it's like you are now creating this fragments of memories where it's not I have a cohesive conversation. I have a little bit. I got a little bit more. I got a little bit more. And those fragments of memory don't play together well in memory. They can compete with each other. And that competition is a big part of forgetting.

And so that's why it's super important to just do one thing and then do another. If you want to do social media, fine, do it. then do whatever it is you are supposed to do for work, right? But it's the shifting that really kills you because it creates – saps your cognitive control. It actually creates these fragmented memories. It also actually increases stress levels.

And so that's why it's super important to just do one thing and then do another. If you want to do social media, fine, do it. then do whatever it is you are supposed to do for work, right? But it's the shifting that really kills you because it creates – saps your cognitive control. It actually creates these fragmented memories. It also actually increases stress levels.

And so that's why it's super important to just do one thing and then do another. If you want to do social media, fine, do it. then do whatever it is you are supposed to do for work, right? But it's the shifting that really kills you because it creates – saps your cognitive control. It actually creates these fragmented memories. It also actually increases stress levels.

So there's all sorts of things. I know there's a lot of tech bros who are just like, oh, no, I multitask. I'm great at it. You're not.

So there's all sorts of things. I know there's a lot of tech bros who are just like, oh, no, I multitask. I'm great at it. You're not.