How does your memory work? | Head Squeeze

Several of you have asked about how our memories are stored, LittleSolarSystem on YouTube asked 'Why does our brain store memory separately into long-term and short-term memories?'

Our friends at Freedem Living have lent us this short film to explain just how memory works.

When you need to recall a memory, the brain calls on your memory network. The hippocampus and other parts of your brain work together to rebuild that memory. To remember something your brain goes through the following process:

First your brain consciously registers the memory, this is called encoding.

Next, the brain must consolidate the memory.

The last step is called retrieval.

The best way to improve your memory is to keep remembering the same thing, over and over. This strengthens the neural pathway to the memory. There are other things you can do to improve your memory; get a regular sleep pattern, eat a balanced diet, and exercise often. Oh and keep your brain active, this will actually increase the physical size of your brain.

10 quirky animated videos addressing common concerns about memory loss and dementia have been developed by researchers in Trinity College Dublin in a bid to allay fears about memory loss, promote brain health and tackle the stigma associated with dementia. You can watch the other films here:

The FreeDem films project has been developed by the NEIL (Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives) Programme at Trinity's Institute of Neuroscience with funding from GENIO.

The videos were produced by makers of Head Squeeze, 360Production.
For more info on the project click here:

If you want a mystery of the universe solved, or one of your questions answered, drop a comment below, or join our G+ Community 'Head Squeezers'.


Greg Foot tells us why we get memory blackouts here:

Want to know more about grey matter? Here's loads more facts about the brain: