Naturebang

Rainbowfish and the Mysteries of Memory


Listen Later

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight dive into the watery world of rainbowfish to confront the age-old myth that fish have bad memories. In actual fact, they are much more intelligent than we like to think, with an incredible capacity for learning and memory, as seen in almost all fish species. Their ability to remember complex things over a long period of time means they can build social relationships, navigate huge distances, and even form cultures, as knowledge is passed down over generations.

So, the science has spoken: fish have way better memories than we like to think. But what about us humans? Well, turns out our memories are way worse than we like to think. From the very first perceptual moment when you experience something, your brain is constantly filtering your memories so that it only keeps the information that it thinks you need. And the more you recount a memory, the more it deviates from "the truth". Which means, in reality, we forget most of our lives, and we misremember most of the rest! Begging the question: are we who we think we are?

Featuring Professor Culum Brown, head of The Fish Lab at Macquarie University, and Dr Julia Shaw, criminal psychologist at UCL and author of 'The Memory Illusion'. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

NaturebangBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

8 ratings


More shows like Naturebang

View all
Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

343 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,101 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

901 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

965 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,078 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

359 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

403 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,838 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

761 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

469 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,024 Listeners

Sideways by BBC Radio 4

Sideways

79 Listeners

A Thorough Examination with Drs Chris and Xand by BBC Radio 4

A Thorough Examination with Drs Chris and Xand

36 Listeners

Waterlands by Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Waterlands

8 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

111 Listeners