How to Improve Your Memory (Even if You Can’t Find Your Car Keys)

Incredible memory capacities are latent inside all of us — we just have to use the right techniques to awaken them.

 Instagram and Snapchat Are Ruining Our Memories

Documenting our lives for Snapchat and Instagram can decrease the likelihood of retaining those moments as a significant memory.

 Marisa Silver on the Tangled Nature of Memory

“We are never living just in the present. We’re constantly sourcing back to the past or thinking about what comes next.”

 The Science Of Smell And Memory

Why can a smell trigger such a powerful memory? Biological anthropologist Kara Hoover explains what's going on in the brain when we smell, how smell interacts with taste, and why our sense of smell is heightened in the winter.

 Unlocking Secrets of Memory and Time in the Brain

New research on how we order our memories could help in understanding and early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

 What Are The Best Ways To Improve Your Memory According To Science?

Wouldn’t it be great if popping a pill every day could really improve memory? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Despite abundant marketing, there’s little evidence showing that supplements improve memory, no matter how expensive or exotic. It's tempting to believe a $50 bottle of whatever will strengthen the neural connections underlying recall—and it would be fantastic if true—but the science is thin.

 What smartphone photography is doing to our memories

Sharing photos may subtly change what — and how — we remember.

 Your Brain Can Resurrect 'Forgotten’ Short-Term Memories

Working memories don’t have to be continuously active in the brain to be remembered.

Explainer: what is memory?

Memory is difficult to define without being circular. People often define memory as “something you can remember”. But we cannot deny the existence of a memory when there is no recollection. Sigmund Freud was first to theorise this notion: memories that are not consciously remembered can exert control through the subconscious. Although much of his research methodology is now criticised, Freud opened our eyes on how past events can influence us in ways regardless of our awareness.

Memory Boosters To Help You Stay Sharp And Remember Where You Put Stuff

If you are over the age of 50, have you had moments when have you’ve forgotten where you put key files, or lost words just on the tip of your tongue at client meetings? If so, you’re not alone.

Want a better memory? Here's what science says you should do

Wouldn't it be great to have a better memory? To remember things you've read, recall names more easily, and never forget where you put your keys? Sadly, scientists haven't yet discovered a magic pill to help you remember things. And many tools often touted as memory enhancers — like various foods, brain-training games, and calorie restrictions — still don't have enough solid evidence behind them. But there has been enough research about memory that you can glean some tips. Here's a look at things we know currently help boost memory — and a look at some futuristic technology that may be just around the corner.

A Short Puzzle to Test Your Memory

An ancient technique called the memory palace helped one of our contributors improve his memory. Can it work for you?

A ‘Memory Hacker’ Explains How to Plant False Memories in People’s Minds

Scientist Julia Shaw explains false police confessions (and reports of alien abductions).

Are Memory Supplements More Than Wishful Thinking?

“Memory supplements” are a half-billion-dollar industry. But a paucity of government regulation means manufacturers can make bold claims without having to back them up.

Can We Access the Memories of Our Ancestors Through Our DNA?

We ask a philosopher about the scientifically-debated concept of genetic memory.

How Many of Your Memories Are Fake?

When people with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory—those who can remember what they ate for breakfast on a specific day 10 years ago—are tested for accuracy, researchers find what goes into false memories.

Inside the Science of Memory

Many of the research questions surrounding memory may have answers in complex interactions between certain brain chemicals—particularly glutamate—and neuronal receptors, which play a crucial role in the signaling between brain cells.

It's Okay That You Don't Like Mornings--Your Memory Probably Doesn't Either

How sleep, circadian rhythms and chronotype affect your ability to remember.

Memory Editing Technology Will Give Us Perfect Recall and Let Us Alter Memories at Will

Two new technologies are changing the meaning of memory, but who will control them?

Memory Machine

Like Facebook before them, iPhones are now serving up prefab slideshows—whether you want them or not.

The Memory Doctor

No one knows the perils of memory planting better than Loftus does. She ran the experiments. She proved the damage. She literally wrote the book.

The Value of a Flawed Memory

Even inaccurate memories can help people shape their identities and set goals; a new understanding of memory’s role

This Quick Trick Will Help You Remember Anything

Because it’s never fun forgetting someone’s name.

Why Does Music Aid in Memorization?

The words to a holiday song bubble up to the surface of the brain, even decades since last hearing the tune. Yet recalling a bank-account password can put the mind in a twist. Neuroscientists have long debated the brain mechanisms related to memory, but they agree on one thing: Information set to music is among the easiest to remember.