It’s a mystery that has long puzzled researchers. Freud called the phenomenon infantile amnesia, and for many years scientists have wondered whether it’s a result of failure to create memories or just a failure to retrieve them. In this episode from March 2025, Ian Sample speaks to Nick Turk-Browne, a professor of psychology at Yale University, whose researc ... Show More
Sep 1
Could humans ever communicate with whales?
Ever since the earliest known recording of whale song was made in 1949, researchers have been captivated by the wails, rumbles, clicks, grunts and squeals of their communication. As technology improves, scientists are decoding the intricate patterns that make different species’ v ... Show More
17m 23s
Jul 2025
Why can’t you remember being a baby? With Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD
Why can’t you remember your first birthday party? Or the house you lived in at age 2? Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD, talks about new studies that suggest that babies and toddlers may form early memories; why we aren’t able to retrieve them as adults; and how evolving brain imaging te ... Show More
41m 42s
Apr 2024
From the Vault: Before You Could Remember, Part 2
Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this classic episode of St ... Show More
44m 43s
Apr 2023
Before You Could Remember, Part 3
Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to B ... Show More
51m 15s
Apr 2023
Before You Could Remember, Part 1
Our personal memories only extend back so far in life, and before that, there is a void. Why don’t we remember our early childhood and what does it say about human memory, childhood development and cultural ideas about infants? Robert and Joe explore in this episode of Stuff to B ... Show More
48m 37s