Subscribe now
a head covered in sticky notes

Memory FAQ: Answers to the common questions that baffle us all

24 October 2018

Why can’t we remember being babies? Does closing your eyes help you recall? Why can’t I remember what I did 5 seconds ago? What is photographic memory? And more


photographs

Memory special: What happens to memories over time?

24 October 2018

Memories fade, but that's no accident. Forgetting is a useful trick of the mind, and even when memories are lost, they aren't always forgotten


man with playing cards

Memory special: Is your memory normal?

24 October 2018

Why do some people remember what they did years ago, whereas others have no clue, but never forget a face or are trivia masters? Here's how to make sense of it


people staring at phones

Memory special: Is technology making your memory worse?

24 October 2018

From search engines to Instagram and a reliance on satnav, our relationship with technology is changing the way the brain makes memories, for better and worse


child asleep

Memory special: What happens to your memories while you sleep?

24 October 2018

As you slumber, the brain is a whir of activity sorting and storing your memories. How does it know which to choose, and how can you game the system?


face

Memory special: Can you supercharge your memory?

24 October 2018

Want to remember whatever you like with no effort? Superhuman enhancements in the form of memory prostheses and implants are just around the corner


I Was Here sign

Memory special: Do we even know what memory is for?

24 October 2018

Remembering the past is useful, but the real purposes of memory may be quite different – from planning for the future to learning to communicate


Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop