Memory

A new type of data storage system could be denser, smaller, faster and more energy efficient than silicon chips. The new method involves encoding data in sliding stacks of two-dimensional layers of metals.

Researchers have discovered a new mechanism by which Alzheimer’s disease impairs memory recall. Neurons encoded with existing memories are drowned out by noise from neurons encoding new experiences. Silencing these allowed mice to regain lost memories.

Compelling research suggests neuronal activity in the hippocampus prior to the delivery of new information can enhance memory formation. The discovery points to a kind of "encoding mode" the brain enters in order to learn more effectively.

A team of researchers recently presented a font called Sans Forgetica, claiming it helps enhance memory. UK and New Zealand researchers have now put the font to the test, and reveal, while it may be difficult to read, it doesn't enhance memory.

A landmark study is offering the first evidence of a process by which our brains consolidate memories during sleep. The researchers witnessed neuronal firing patterns in humans during sleep that suggest we replay our waking experiences as we rest.

New research from an international team of scientists has tracked a compelling series of connections between the gut microbiome and memory, illustrating how genetics can influence memory via bacterial metabolites produced in the gut.

In research that could have implications for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, scientists have found it is possible to effectively erase memories of a traumatic event in fruit flies by keeping them in the dark for two days.

Scientists have understood for several years how linking learning to specific odor cues can enhance memory if the same smells are then presented during a specific sleep phase. New researcn has now verified the method in a cohort of school students.

A study is suggesting VR may inhibit effective formation of visual memories, and in some contexts could result in poor educational results. The study hypothesizes the enhanced cognitive demands of VR potentially disrupt visual memory formation.

An incredible new study has found a specifically timed infusion of ketamine can rewrite maladaptive reward memories. Subjects with harmful alcohol behaviors significantly reduced their drinking for nine months following a single ketamine treatment.

A new study out of Northwestern University has found the old advice of solving a problem by "sleeping on it" is not only true, but can be improved by using sound cues to manipulate our brain while we sleep.

A study has homed in on a gene linked to “short sleepers”, those with the ability to slumber for less than six hours a night with no negative consequences. The gene mutation also was found to prevent memory problems associated with sleep deprivation.