David Bianculli

This is Fresh Air. I'm David Bianculli. Do you ever walk into a room and forget why you're there? Or read a book or watch a movie and years later can't remember a thing about them? Charon Ranganath is a neurologist who studies memory. And what he's about to say might make you feel better about your memory. When Ranganath meets someone, the question he's most often asked is, why am I so forgetful?

This is Fresh Air. I'm David Bianculli. Do you ever walk into a room and forget why you're there? Or read a book or watch a movie and years later can't remember a thing about them? Charon Ranganath is a neurologist who studies memory. And what he's about to say might make you feel better about your memory. When Ranganath meets someone, the question he's most often asked is, why am I so forgetful?

He says we have the wrong expectations for what memory is for. The mechanisms of memory, he says, were not cobbled together to help us remember the name of that guy we met at that thing. Instead of asking, why do we forget, we should really be asking, why do we remember? And that's the question he's been researching for about 25 years with the help of brain imaging techniques.

He says we have the wrong expectations for what memory is for. The mechanisms of memory, he says, were not cobbled together to help us remember the name of that guy we met at that thing. Instead of asking, why do we forget, we should really be asking, why do we remember? And that's the question he's been researching for about 25 years with the help of brain imaging techniques.

He says we have the wrong expectations for what memory is for. The mechanisms of memory, he says, were not cobbled together to help us remember the name of that guy we met at that thing. Instead of asking, why do we forget, we should really be asking, why do we remember? And that's the question he's been researching for about 25 years with the help of brain imaging techniques.

Charan Ranganath directs the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis, where he's a professor at the Center for Neuroscience and the Department of Psychology. His book is called Why We Remember, and it's out in paperback. Terry Gross spoke with him last year.

Charan Ranganath directs the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis, where he's a professor at the Center for Neuroscience and the Department of Psychology. His book is called Why We Remember, and it's out in paperback. Terry Gross spoke with him last year.

Charan Ranganath directs the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis, where he's a professor at the Center for Neuroscience and the Department of Psychology. His book is called Why We Remember, and it's out in paperback. Terry Gross spoke with him last year.

Sharon Ranganath, author of the book Why We Remember. He spoke to Terry Gross last year. Later, we listen back to our 1997 interview with Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning former composer, arranger, and orchestrator for The Simpsons. Justin Chang reviews the new film The Life of Chuck, based on a Stephen King novella.

Sharon Ranganath, author of the book Why We Remember. He spoke to Terry Gross last year. Later, we listen back to our 1997 interview with Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning former composer, arranger, and orchestrator for The Simpsons. Justin Chang reviews the new film The Life of Chuck, based on a Stephen King novella.

Sharon Ranganath, author of the book Why We Remember. He spoke to Terry Gross last year. Later, we listen back to our 1997 interview with Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning former composer, arranger, and orchestrator for The Simpsons. Justin Chang reviews the new film The Life of Chuck, based on a Stephen King novella.

And I provide some context for the upcoming live TV performance of George Clooney's Broadway production Good Night and Good Luck. I'm David Bianculli, and this is Fresh Air.

And I provide some context for the upcoming live TV performance of George Clooney's Broadway production Good Night and Good Luck. I'm David Bianculli, and this is Fresh Air.

And I provide some context for the upcoming live TV performance of George Clooney's Broadway production Good Night and Good Luck. I'm David Bianculli, and this is Fresh Air.

Nothing is more foreign than when Ariel says in The Little Mermaid, I want to be where the people are.

Nothing is more foreign than when Ariel says in The Little Mermaid, I want to be where the people are.

Nothing is more foreign than when Ariel says in The Little Mermaid, I want to be where the people are.

The new movie The Life of Chuck, which won the Top Audience Award at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, opens in theaters this week. It's an adaptation of a Stephen King novella, and it's set during what appears to be the end of the world. Its stars include Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill. Our film critic, Justin Chang, has this review.

The new movie The Life of Chuck, which won the Top Audience Award at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, opens in theaters this week. It's an adaptation of a Stephen King novella, and it's set during what appears to be the end of the world. Its stars include Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill. Our film critic, Justin Chang, has this review.

The new movie The Life of Chuck, which won the Top Audience Award at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, opens in theaters this week. It's an adaptation of a Stephen King novella, and it's set during what appears to be the end of the world. Its stars include Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill. Our film critic, Justin Chang, has this review.