For the centuries that humanity has researched the brain, we’ve believed that a memory is only preserved if the connected neurons were active. But that has just been proven wrong, as scientists have discovered that small jolts of electricity to the cranial mass can actually recover lost memories.
In what is going to be a game-changer for anyone suffering from short-term memory loss, the team at the University of Wisconsin found that a small pulse of transcranial magnetic stimulation can “reactivate” recent memories.
This proves one significant thing – memories don’t just disappear. Your brain, in fact, slows these memories down to a state of dormancy in the background, ready to come back when influenced to do so.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for long-term memories, so don’t expect to take your mind back to a Christmas you actually got excited about (mine was receiving a PS2 with Ridge Racer in 2000). However, it’s clear there’s a lot about the brain that we don’t know fully yet.
In the long term, this could mean significant treatment options for the likes of Alzheimer’s and other conditions where the reactivation of short-term memories will help keep the patient sound-of-mine and improve quality of life.
Alongside the scientists, 50% of the British public and the future health of young people across the nation, I have one simple request: delay Freedom Day, please.