Learning and Memory

Memory is fundamental to human life. Qualitatively distinct types of memory enable us to change behavior in response to experience, to acquire and use a repository of knowledge, to recollect events from the past, and to plan for the future. In many respects, memory defines human individuality, as the memories of one person are necessarily different from those of another. Where they overlap, as in the shared memories of a community or a nation, they form a cultural memory that is often ritualized into various art forms. The use of memory is changing, with a great deal of human knowledge now externalized and then sought on demand through the use of search engines on the internet. Nonetheless, the loss of memory remains greatly feared, perhaps because it is recognized that loss of private episodic memories would undermine the sense of self. Moreover, the inability to recollect events and episodes can develop from a minor irritation to a condition that undermines normal daily existence.