Short Wave

'Stealing The Past': A Spat Between Twins Leads To A Theory Of Disputed Memories


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It's not unusual for siblings to quibble over ownership of something — a cherished toy, a coveted seat in the car — or whose fault something is. If you're Mercedes Sheen, you not only spent your childhood squabbling with your sister over your memories, you then turn it into your research career. Mercedes studies disputed memories, where it's unclear who an event happened to. It turns out these memories can tell us a lot about people — they tend to be self-aggrandizing — and how the human brain remembers things.

Check out more of NPR's series on the Science of Siblings.

Curious about more science about memories? Email us at [email protected].

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