Everything is life is memory, save the thin edge of the present. (Michael Gazzaniga, 2000)
Modern science defines memory as the processes involved in retaining, retrieving, and using information about stimuli, events, ideas, and skills after the original information is no longer present. It is not therefore not farfetched to think of the memory system as a mental "time machine"! According to modern psychological theory, memory is a cognitive capacity that is used to guide an organisms behaviour towards various elements in its biological and mental life. Therefore, the impact of memory is felt in every domain of experience. At this week's CaféLitt gathering, I will provide an overview of the current understanding of memory and its relationship with the brain. I will then use the two most thoroughly documented clinical cases of memory deficits to illustrate how the careful study of brain damage has tremendously enhanced our understanding and appreciation of the many facets of memory function. I will end the talk with a brief treatment of some of the very exciting new developments in revealing the cellular and molecular basis of memory function.