We Still Don't Know Why We Remember the Things We Do

Scientists think they can explain roughly 60 percent of our memory, but the rest remains a mystery

Hiya!

So, I’ve been thinking a lot about memories these days. Our attention is pulled in an array of directions, not just with marketing or social media, but also a global pandemic, looming global warming, and now potentially WWIII. We experience so much, how do our brains choose what’s relevant to remember and what to discard?

Most people assume that whatever we pay attention to, we remember. That if we focus on a photo or math equation hard enough, maybe it’ll sear itself into our brains. Plenty of students stay up all night in an attempt to cram for a test, but does it work? Science is still a long way off from answering questions like these, but experts are making progress that begs new questions.

Why Do We Remember What We Remember?

Memory is a single word that represents a complicated labyrinth of pathways we’re still trying to find our way through. I’ve actually written about memory in more detail before in both this newsletter and in Curious Life. So, I won't go into too much detail about the various types of memory in this one. But knowing the different types of memory we have doesn’t answer why we remember some things but not others.

The good news is, cognitive psychologists are working on it. The way they see it, figuring out what we remember could open a door to learning more about how we remember.

To begin, it’s good to start small and build from there. For instance, scientists know it’s possible to learn which images the human brain is likely to remember. They know this because artificial intelligence is getting really good at predicting it. So if an algorithm can outperform our own human intuitions by spotting which images will stick with us, then there must be a reason for it.

Memorizing Images — Pattern Recognition

If we’re going to investigate why we remember the things we do, then it makes sense to start with images. After all, we humans are fantastic at recognizing patterns and faces. In fact, we can recognize tens of thousands of images we’ve seen before. Though, we’re not perfect at it. For whatever reason, some images stick in our memories more firmly than others — and we don’t appear to have much control over which ones.

There have been several studies that find that some faces and all sorts of images, even abstract ones are more memorable than others. Even more interesting is, it doesn’t seem to matter what we think we’ll remember as individuals, even when incentivized. Meaning it seems we have less control than we think we do over what images get filed away or dismissed.

Writer Brian Resnick wrote more about this in an article for Vox which includes conversations and experiences with Wilma Bainbridge, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Chicago.

According to Bainbridge, we might remember an image of someone we find attractive, or who is familiar in some way. But it’s only about half of what goes into making an image memorable. She goes on to explain that people tend to remember faces more than blank landscapes, we also recall brighter pictures with more contrast better. Also novelty concepts—where something in the image seems out of place, like an apple with an orange slice cut from it— also appear to leave an impression on us.

Though, experts still don’t have all of the answers. In the Vox article, Bainbridge states,

“We keep thinking that maybe we’ll find a set of attributes that determine what makes something memorable … things like categories of objects, functions, colors, and texture.”

This makes sense because if our exceptional pattern detection spots a consistent attribute in images we remember, then it gives scientists a starting point to grow from. Whereas right now, experts are largely taking shots in the dark.

A study based on around 26,000 images shows that as of now, all the factors that scientists are aware of to explain why some images stick with us better— like higher contrast images — only account for around 60 percent. This means the missing 40 percent remains a mystery.

Perspective Shift

Cracking even this first code in understanding our memory has the potential to change society. If we knew how to make images more memorable, it could be applied to textbooks or lectures to help students remember better. There are all kinds of ways this knowledge could benefit society.

However, it’s important we also maintain a sense of caution and consideration. On the surface, the idea of creating more memorable images, videos, and textbooks sounds amazing. But there’s potential for things to go terribly wrong too.

For instance, we have enough issues with social media affecting people’s mental health in a negative way. Could knowing how to make images stick in people's minds become dangerous in marketing and advertising? Especially when we’re already drowning in information?

Regardless, it’s easy to get caught up in excitement anytime we learn a little bit more about ourselves — the great puzzles of humanity. Our brains, minds, bodies, and senses are enigmas we’re still working to understand. Who knows what we’ll learn next!

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Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash