I explore the surprising science of memory with Dr. Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember. Today, Dr. Ranganath reveals why forgetting isn’t a flaw but a feature of our brains and how simple strategies can dramatically improve recall.

You’ll learn:

Why forgetting is normal (feat. Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve).

How multitasking physically changes your brain and worsens memory.

Why filming concerts on your phone makes the experience less memorable.

Proven techniques from memory athletes to help you remember more. 

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Charan’s book Why We Remember: https://charanranganath.com/

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Sources:

Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Über das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot.

ESPN. (2018). LeBron James recalling play with photographic memory [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHAsh-i6WQ

Miller, G. A. (1956). The magic number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81–97.

Ranganath, C. (2024). Why we remember: Unlocking memory’s power to hold on to what matters. Doubleday.

Tulving, E., & Schacter, D. L. (1990). Priming and human memory systems. Science, 247(4940), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2296719

White, R. (2018). How to memorize a deck of cards (fastest way taught by memory champion) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/yevxvTbUa4s?si=x447uhmpm9-z--SD