📘 Part 3: Memory

This episode’s vocabulary

Transparent (adj.) - easy to perceive or detect/(of a material or article) allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen.

Selective memory (noun) - an ability to remember some facts while apparently forgetting others, esp. when they are inconvenient

To make up (phrasal verb) - to reduce or replace something, usually an amount of time or work, that has been lost.

Life or death (adj.) - very important and serious.

Priority (noun) - something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things.

To outsource (verb) - If a company outsources work or things, it pays workers from outside the company to do the work or supply the things.

Mnemonic device (noun) - a mnemonic device, or memory device, is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering) in the human memory.

Overwhelmed (adj./verb)#nbsp;-#nbsp;to be too much to deal with/to cause someone to feel sudden strong emotion.

Aptitude (noun) - a natural ability or skill.

To supplement (verb) - to add something to something to make it larger or better.

Questions and Answers (Part 3)

Maria: Now, Rory, let's talk about forgetting things and memory in general.

Why do people forget things they don't want to do?

Rory: Well, I suppose the simple answer is that they don't really forget, do they? They just think: I don't want to do it. So I'm going to pretend to forget! And I'm always very surprised when this happens because it's so transparent. I can't believe people still do it, but they do. You could argue maybe sometimes people have a selective memory, but I think most of the time they just pretend to forget.

Maria: Which do you think is more important to remember a business meeting or meeting with a friend?

Rory: Well, probably a business meeting. It's easier to make things up to your friends if you make a mistake or you forget something. But when it comes to business, it's simultaneously more personal, but people are more sensitive to having their time wasted. So you should probably be more careful to remember business affairs, I guess, than those with your friends.

Maria: In what situations is it important to remember information very well?

Rory: Um, well, I suppose like, life or death situations, like a murder or an accident. I guess, if you have to remember all of those details for a court, then that would be quite important. Maybe less dramatically any high priority situation where memory is crucial. For example, like, an exam. And you have to remember a lot for that.

Maria: What can people do to help themselves remember information for their everyday needs?

Rory: Um, well, They could keep a diary or journal, and if you have a phone, then you can set alarms or reminders. And then, sort of, outside of technology, if you have a daily routine, you can get so used to it that you don't have to think about it, and you don't need to dedicate so much time to remembering things. And I suppose the last one is, if you're very very rich, then you could hire a P.A. (Personal Assistant) or a secretary to manage your day.

Maria: What kinds of things do people forget easily?

Rory: Um, I suppose probably things that aren't considered to be a priority. So, for example, if you're quite a self-centered person, then you might forget other people's birthdays, if you don't have a diary, for example.

Maria: How can people improve their memory?

Rory: Um, well, I've mentioned it before. There's lots of different ways to do that. You could just outsource it to technology just by setting reminders and things. Some people use mnemonic devices or they just repeat things, sort of, like what I mentioned with routines, then that can help improve your memory.

Maria: What do you think of people who use calendars to remind themselves of things?

Rory: Well, it's definitely a good place to start. And for some people it might be enough. However, I think for a lot of people they might need a bit more, in that a calendar is not very portable. So maybe it's better to have a diary, for example, or something set up on your phone... Although, there are online calendars you can use, which are also quite portable.

Maria: Why is it difficult for some people to remember things?

Rory: Well, I suppose that a lot of people are overwhelmed with distractions and not everybody has the same aptitude for remembering things. You could make some minor changes, but some people just don't have the head for it.

Maria: Do you think technology makes people forgetful?

Rory: Um, if you use it responsibly, then ideally it should do the opposite, because, of course, we talked about setting reminders and things like this. Um, but of course if you're less responsible that it could become a distraction and make people more forgetful because they're not paying attention to what they should be.

Maria: Is it possible that technology will replace human memory?

Rory: Um, probably not in the nearest future. Most technology isn't bio-compatible, but you could supplement, and I think people do know, they supplement their memories now with pictures and video. But nothing is as clear as memory because memories are connected to different feelings and sensations that you have, and I don't think people or at least scientists have managed to replicate that just yet.