It appears we are finally able tosay something intelligent about the whole process of memory. We can now observe that process apparently inaction. It is noteworthy that memoriesto be saved are in fact selected and then transported to the cortex. One presumes that short term memories are infact over written.
Seen this way we can discountclaims of perfect memories and replace that with a more efficient memory thatleaves the illusion of a perfect memory. It all needs to be thought about.
This may also be an artifact ofour own assumptions regarding memory processing. It sounds a little too like a computer tome. I suggest we put interpretations onhold until we gather much more information now we seem able to do so.
Study: Memories change brain structure
by Staff Writers
European researchers say they've recorded changes in the brain as itlearns and sorts what it has learned in a "clearing house"of memories.
By analyzing the brains of mice at various stages of learning, Italian,Swiss and German scientists observed the brain modifying its structure andorganization, making new connections while canceling some others out,Italian news agency ANSA reported Monday.
"When we have to memorize something, in a structure called thehippocampus or the cerebellum," Piergiorgio Strata, head of Italy'sNational Neuroscience Institute,said, "the things to be remembered are selected.
"Some of them are sent to permanent storage areas located invarious parts of the brain's cortex, while others are organized differently,with inhibitory synapses coming into play."
Since some memories, such as fears, can leave a very intense permanenttrace, the research could pave the way for discovering the molecularfoundations of phobias and anxieties, the researchers said.
The research, published in the journal Nature, shows that"short-term memory can become long-term via a process called consolidation,which is completed over several days," Strata said.
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