Asked by: Keith Walker, Lincoln
Memories are formed by the changing strength of connections between networks of brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus, which is found in each temporal lobe (the part of your brain near your ears). A key memory-related process is ‘long-term potentiation’, which refers to a lasting change in how strongly one neuron influences another. It’s tempting to think of memory like a recording, etched permanently into patterns of brain cells, but it’s more accurate to see it as a creative process. During recollection, earlier patterns of brain activity are re-enacted – a fragile process that leaves plenty of room for error and editing.
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