Memory is not as reliable as we like to think it is. And that's not a stroke thing. It's just the nature of memory.
Of course a stroke can impact memory as well. It can hurt our short-term memory, like in Christine Lee's stroke ( http://Strokecast.com/Christine). It can impact whether or not we can "remember" vocabulary, like in the case of aphasia. We may find our memory stronger earlier in the day than later in the day.
This week, I speak with the host of the Brain Science podcast and member of the Podcast Hall of Fame, Dr. Ginger Campbell about ow memory work in the non-damaged brain. We explore some of the misconceptions that govern memory , its accuracy, and even how it impacts the criminal justice system.
If you don't see the audio player below, you can listen to the conversation at http://Strokecast.com/MSN/BrainScience
Who is Dr. Ginger Campbell?
Dr. Virginia “Ginger” Campbell is a physician, author, and science communicator. She is the author of “Are You Sure: The Unconscious Origins of Certainty”* and she is a member of the Podcast Hall of Fame (2022). Dr. Campbell began podcasting in 2006 when she launched two shows: Brain Science and Books and Ideas. Both feature interviews with scientists, but Books and Ideas includes more diverse guests including science fiction writers. In 2018 she launched Graying Rainbows, which took her interview skills to a more personal level. Brain Science is still going strong and is widely regarded as the best podcast about neuroscience.
Dr. Campbell spent over 20 years as an emergency physician in rural Alabama. In 2014 she went back to the University of Alabama in Birmingham where she completed a Fellowship in Palliative Medicine. She now practices Palliative Medicine at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Birmingham, AL, where she enjoys both patient care and teaching residents, fellows, and medical students.
Dr. Campbell enjoys sharing her passion for science and especially neuroscience. Her goal is to make these topics accessible to people from all backgrounds.
Memory is not a Recording
One theme that comes up frequently is that the brain is not a computer and memory is not a recording.
The dynamic nature of memory means that our "mental records" of events cand and are supposed to change. Each time we recall an event, we rewrite it. Maybe we add new data or interpretations. Maybe we purge less relevant details.
The whole evolutionary purpose of memory is to keep us alive so we can reproduce and propagate our genes. Of course that's the evolutionary purpose of every aspect of our biology. Our existential, theological, spiritual, philosophical, or metaphysical purpose is different, but that's a separate discussion.
Memory is not intended to provide an accurate, societal record of all events. It's meant to help us survive.
Criminal Justice
Eyewitness testimony and stranger identification is the least reliable form of testimony in court. In addition to challenges like cross-race identification, even our most traumatic memories lack accuracy. Again, the memory is there to keep us alive, not to ensure the right person goes to jail.
We often read about the flaws of eyewitness testimony. The fact is memory is often not accurate enough to convict someone beyond a reasonable doubt (the standard in the US). Fortunately, the proliferation of dash cams, cell, phone recordings, and police body cams provide an often more accurate supplement to memory. And the advances in DNA identification and analysis provide a further level of certainty.
There are likely still hundreds or thousands of people in prison around the world solely because of someone's memory.
Is everyone who claims to be innocent actually innocent? Of course not. Are some of them innocent? Surely.
Any assessments and accusations, especially about strangers, need to be taken with a substantial grain of salt.
Podcast Hall of Fame
In Spring of 2022, Dr. Ginger Campbell was inducted into the Podcast Hall of Fame.
The honor recognizes her commitment as a science communicator/educator. Talking about science and making it accessible to everyday people and voters is essential to our future as a society. At one level, we have learned so much about how biology and climate work, it's astounding.
At the same time we are still plagued by anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, and climate change deniers who deny science. They can win adherents due to lack of skill of many in the science community when it comes to communicating with the general public.
In all fields, scientific and otherwise, the deeper the experts get, the more likely they are to be speaking a different language -- one of assumptions and vocabulary and lines of thought that are unique to the field. What's often missing is an ability to translate that expert language from the field of experts to the general populace, who may have their own expertise in their own fields.
That's why shows like the Brain Science podcast are so important. And it's why I hope I can make my own contribution to the space with this show.
By the way, Ginger is not the only podcast hall of famer I've had the pleasure of interviewing. A few years back, I interviewed Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting on my 2-Minute Talk Tips podcast.
You can listen to that episode here:
Hack of the Week
The simplest way to improve your memory is to pay attention to things you want to remember. That means repeating people's names when you meet them, or repeating appointment information as you make the commitment.
The more you repeat it, the more brain resources you commit to remembering something. When it's important to remember, tell your brain that it's important to remember and why. Give yourself the context you need.
If you hear something out loud, say it out loud. Then handwrite it. Engage more parts of your brain and body to secure important pieces of data in your memory.
A bonus hack to keep your brain sharp? Engage socially with people because the brain craves variety and novelty. And few things are as random and unpredictable as people.
Links
Where do we go from here?
- Text BrainScience to 55444 to get 5 Things You Need to Know About Your Brain, and to subscribe to Ginger's newsletter. And be sure to check out her podcast Brain Science to learn more about the brain and neurology.
- Share this episode with someone you know by giving them the link http://Strokecast.com/BrainScience.
- Subscribe to the free Strokecast newsletter at http://Strokecast.com/News.
- Don't get best…get better.
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