People with Super-Memories Forget Nothing

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Imagine never forgetting anything. Virtue? Curse?

Four people are said to have such "super-memories," including the latest case, a Southern California man who researchers don't plan to identify by name. According to USA Today, the man recalls in detail most days of his life, as well as the day and date of key public events, said researchers Larry Cahill.

The newspaper interviewed Jill Price, another person with a super memory. Price discussed her mind lat year in the book "The Woman Who Can't Forget."

There is much about memory that scientists don't understand. Only this month, in fact, they found that a single brain cell can hold a memory for a brief period before it's put in long-term storage, a feat that requires connections between brain cells.

Two areas in Price's brain are responsible: the caudate nuclei, typically used for memory when forming automatic habits; and a part of the temporal lobe that stores facts, dates and events, Cahill told USA TODAY. The two brain areas might work together, in ways not realized before, to make allow the unforgettable connections.

Better understanding of the condition could lead to improvements in grasping the science of memory in regular folks, the researchers figure.

Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
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