logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
44m 21s

Ep19 "How far can you trust your memory?...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

How good is your memory, really? Why do we feel so certain about our memory, even while it is so suspect? Can something told to you after an event change your memory of the event? Why is it so hard to reconstruct a face? Is there a relationship between confidence and accuracy? How is your ability to remember a scene changed if there's a gun pointed at you? Join Eagleman to find out why eyewitness testimony is the most questionable technology we allow in courts.

Up next
Jul 13
Ep162 "What Does Medicine Look Like in Ten Years?" with Jeanne Loring
For all of medical history, we’ve tried to persuade sick cells to behave better. What if instead we just swapped them out? Can we insert new brain cells grown from your own skin cells? And what does any of this have to do with sending one’s own cells into space, or rescuing anima ... Show More
33m 45s
Jul 6
Ep161 "What Do Ancient Brains and Future AIs Have in Common?" with Read Montague
What do honeybee brains have in common with human brains -- and with the AI that beat the world's best Go player? What simple algorithm has been hiding inside brains for 100s of millions of years? When babies throw food from a high chair again and again, are they being mischievou ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 29
Ep160 "Do You Really Have a Self?" with Sam Harris
re you the author of your thoughts or just their witness? Do we simply watch our thoughts like we watch unfolding dream plots? What if the most familiar thing you experience — yourself — isn’t really there? If that’s the case, why does the experience of the self feel so solid tha ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Are Your Memories Real?
<p>We rely on our memory to understand the world. But what if our memories aren't true? This week, we talk to psychologist <a href="https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/eloftus/">Elizabeth Loftus</a> about the malleability of memory — what we remember, and what we think we remember.</p> ... Show More
49m 50s
Dec 2019
Did That Really Happen?
<p>Our memories are easily contaminated. We can be made to believe we rode in a hot air balloon or kissed a magnifying glass — even if those things never happened. So how do we know which of our memories are most accurate? This week, psychologist Ayanna Thomas explains how memor ... Show More
48m 2s
Aug 2021
You 2.0: Did That Really Happen?
<p>Our memories are easily contaminated. We can be made to believe we rode in a hot air balloon or kissed a magnifying glass — even if those things never happened. So how do we know which of our memories are most accurate? This week, psychologist <a href="https://as.tufts.edu/psy ... Show More
48m 25s
Oct 2019
How Memory Can Be Manipulated (SOP91)
Our memories may not be as reliable as we think. Once we experience an event, most of us likely assume that those memories stays intact forever. But there is the potential for memories to be altered or for completely false memories to be planted, according to Elizabeth Loftus, Ph ... Show More
18m 9s
Aug 2022
Focus - Why We Forget
Why does our memory sometimes fail us? Would you recognise an implanted memory? And what implications do the risks of false memories have for society? In this Focus episode of How We’re Wired, join producer Dr Eva Higginbotham as she explores the murky depths of our imperfect mem ... Show More
33m 21s
May 2021
Are Any of Your Memories Actually Real?
<p>There is a chance the very few memories that you have actually happened exactly the way you remember them happening. That being said, can we trust anyone's memories? Well in this episode, I am going to teach you the 3 things that happen to someone's brain when they recall memo ... Show More
18m 28s
May 2023
How to remember everything
How do we remember things, why some people stuggle to remember their way around, and what does it take to be a memory world champion? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists 
27m 17s
May 2022
Does photographic memory exist?
<p>Most people are great at remembering key points from important events in their lives, while the finer details - such as the colour of the table cloth in your favourite restaurant or the song playing on the radio while you brushed your teeth - are forgotten. But some people see ... Show More
35m 3s
Nov 2023
Are Your Memories Real Today?
<p>Have you ever wondered how accurate your memories are? 🤔 Well, you're not alone! In this episode, we'll explore the fascinating world of memory. We'll discuss how our memories might not always be what they seem, and how they can be influenced and changed over time.</p><p>I'm ... Show More
18m 38s
Mar 2025
806 - How’s your Memory
So how is your memory? Do you have a memory like a sieve or maybe your memory is more like an elephant. Some people have a short memory and some people have a photographic memory.The word memory in English is interesting because it has a number of meanings and uses. For today's p ... Show More
7m 40s