Researchers Create Short-term Memories In Rat Brains

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers say they've found a way to store artificial short-term memories in isolated brain tissue. 'This is the first time anyone has found a way to store information over seconds about both temporal sequences and stimulus patterns directly in brain tissue,' says the study's lead. 'This paves the way for future research to identify the specific brain circuits that allow us to form short-term memories.' The peer-reviewed study can be found here (paywalled)."

Comments

any plans on long-term memory?

[wierd_w]

I might be an anomaly, but after highschool and college, I developed the ability to push things directly to long-term memory, and shortchange the short-term, removing the volatility.

I know I can do that, because the information and even the circumstances happening around me are stored such that I can recall them clearly now, years later. (The first time I did it was durng a cram session in science class concerning the simple machines physics test material in HS. I remember the entire circumstance clearly. Upon learning I could do this, I never had to really study again, just make the concious effort to store the information permanently. The most recent time I used it was last week over the holiday weekend. I visited a friend and took some extra days off. His parents wanted him to find some unusual ingredients for a recipe his dad had found online, and I memorized the missing items: mediteranean couscous, lemon preserves, and picholine olives.)

Let me know when they can deal with long term memories, because there is some stagnant data in my head that needs purging. I don't need to remember the conversation I had with the engineering student on the SW airlines return flight from my california vacation two years ago. That and numberous other things could safely be removed.

Re:any plans on long-term memory?

[wierd_w]

It takes conscious effort to remember an arbitrary unit of information, such as a complete recipie, vs remembering that I made muffins that day, and that they were delicious.

People with perfect autobiographical memory do the latter. They will associate a date with an activity, and remember it. They will remember making the muffins, what problems may have come up during baking (such as phone ringing, etc), that they were delicious, how many they ate, etc... but will not recall the recipie.

I can recall the recipie, if I make a conscious effort to store it.

This is something people with perfect autobiographical memory cannot do.

I do not habe perfect autobiographical memory, and do not claim to. I have above average autobiographical memory, and also the ability to recall discrete units of information I have consciously taken the effort to store.

Compare: remembering that my friend's dad wanted odd ingredients for something he wanted to cook VS remembering what the ingredients are.

Re:Putting Tin Foil hat on....

[nonsequitor]

There really is no justification for this type of research. I can't think of any possible good use, and the potential for abuse is sky-high. Implanting artificial memories would never be a good thing to do under any circumstances.

Understanding the mechanics of memory may lead to breakthroughs which could cure diseases like Alzheimer's.

Re:Putting Tin Foil hat on....

[CRCulver]

The direct cause of Alzheimer's is already well-known: plaques in the brain. Destroy the plaques early, and brain function will not be impaired. While the OP may unreasonably fear the repercussions of this research, claiming that it could lead to a cure for Alzheimers is going rather too far in assuaging his fears.

Re:Putting Tin Foil hat on....

[foniksonik]

There is also a very good link between insulin overload and plaque formation (rather the inability of the brain tissue to breakdown plaque due to insulin overload eg it's too busy breaking down insulin). This in turn is brought about by obesity aka type 2 diabetes when looking at early onset Alzheimer's (old age also inhibits plaque breakdown).