The lifetime of memories

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Break submission by Thomas Stefanelli, PhD student and by Pablo Mendez, Senior Lecturer, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Memory is essential for animal survival and gives human beings the extraordinary ability to develop consciousness and ultimately the self. The brain mechanisms that allow us to store, elaborate and recall information from the outside world have been continuously enriched and refined throughout animal evolution. From classical greek philosophers to contemporary neuroscientists, memory has attracted attention because of its profound implications in all aspects of our life. How our lives would be if we could remember every little detail of them? Why do we forget people, places, things and events? Even if answering these questions still needs extensive research, scientists all over the world are continuously and restlessly adding pieces to the long standing scientific question of how memory functions and why it fails in pathological conditions. (read the Break on TheScienceBreaker)