JAN 18

Why do we forget someone’s name immediately after being introduced to them? Think about it: “this is Nina Dawes.” Taken in isolation these words are meaningless. In addition, the name has no real “connection” to the face. For instance, if a person’s name was Mr. Buckteeth and he had large teeth, then it would be easy to remember. In times gone by, names were based on memory and association:

Smell is a highly effective prompt to tap forgotten memories. Have you ever caught a whiff of wood fire or a perfume and found yourself transported to a time in your past completely out of the blue, or even remembered an old lover?

Scientists believe that there is a cortex close to the limbic system that started out as a “smell brain” and evolved into an “emotional brain,” which is important for memory.

 It is called the rhinal cortex. Therefore, the connection between smell, emotion, and memory has an anatomical basis. Smell-evoked memories might seem clearer or more intense than other memories because they appear to be more “emotional” than memories triggered by visual, audio, or other types of cues.

Studies suggest that while smells evoke memories that may feel more powerful, they don’t help people recall more information, or specific details Just consider the work your brain does when you walk to the local store to pick up a grocery item.

Every step you take, you have to use 3-D visualization to navigate the space to make sure you don’t bump into other people or objects. The task becomes even more complicated when you’re driving a car. Things move faster and you have to use predictive vision to determine where all the other road users might be at any given moment. You use visual and spatial reasoning within days of being born.

Your visual cortex begins to adapt to light right after birth and, within weeks, you’re able to separate your parents’ faces from the myriad colors and shapes around you. At this stage, nothing fascinates you more than your mother’s face. Then, as you grow older, you play many games to develop your visual sense. For example, when you are trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle you have to figure out how to put the pieces together to recreate the picture on the front of the box.

The way the different shapes fit together hones your ability to reason, deduce, analyze, and solve problems.