Hodgepodge 13/365 - Memory

I am trying to upgrade the memory on my old (mid-2007) iMac, from 2 Gb to 4, as high as I can go. You'd think it would be simple, but my first attempt was unsuccessful: both the memory cards I ordered online failed to function. So this morning I called a local shop and ordered two more. The fellow I spoke with said it's highly unlikely that the RAM I received in the mail was faulty, but what other explanation is there? They seemed to be to spec. In any case, try, try again. I suppose if it doesn't work this time, I'll just have to get a new computer!

But that got me thinking about memory—human memory. And I've been poking around on the Internet and found some references that I'm saving here to follow up on later. Because this stuff of memory is fascinating, and makes for fascinating reading. So, here are a few:

"You Have No Idea What Happened," by Maria Konnikova in the New Yorker: why we remember so many things wrong.

"Speak, Memory," by Oliver Sacks in the New York Review of Books: memories, false memory, and forgettings.

"The Secrets of Sherlock's Mind Palace," by Sarah Zielinski in the Smithsonian: describing an ancient mnemonic technique adopted by Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series.

And then there's the book Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by Jonathan Foer—which I started and was enjoying, but then put down . . . I should see if I can find it and pick it up again.

And the classic book The Art of Memory by Frances Yates, a history of mnemonic devices from ancient times to the 17th century.

And Where Did I Leave My Glasses? The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss by Martha Weinman Lear.

On Radiolab, the podcast, a look at how memories are made . . . and forgotten.

Last but not least, there's "The Blessing and Curse of People Who Never Forget," by David Robson at BBC.com. And "When Memories Never Fade, the Past Can Poison the Present," by Alix Spiegel on NPR. Memory can go both ways: too little, too wrong, or too much, too exact.

Oh but wait: finally finally, and just for fun, there's a podcast I ran across while looking these other references up called The Memory Palace. Not about memory per se, but four-minute historical snapshots, real-life stories. It looks good. 

I will try to augment this list as I stumble on other useful sources. If I can remember to . . .