Neuroscience
I just finished a delightful novel called The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa and translated by Stephen Snyder. What was interesting from a cognitive science perspective was that the (unnamed) Professor had a traumatic brain injury which left him with only 80 minutes of short-term memory. He remembers everything prior to the accident which occurred in the late 1970s, but he can only remember the past 80 minutes and anything prior to that is forgotten.
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Neuroscience
Memory, Math, and Cognitive Science Fiction
I just finished a delightful novel called The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa and translated by Stephen Snyder. What was interesting from a cognitive science perspective was that the (unnamed) Professor had a traumatic brain injury which left him with only 80 minutes of short-term memory. He remembers everything prior to the accident which occurred in the late 1970s, but he can only remember the past 80 minutes and anything prior to that is forgotten.The Professor was a mathematician and copes with his lack of memory by doing mathematical puzzles. He is very interested in prime numbers, and fractals, and the book is full of math (and Japanese baseball).
It was well-written and both the story and characters are memorable. I was particularly struck by the difficulties a person encounters when he has only 80 minutes of current memory, and the Professor's coping mechanisms are fascinating. If you like a good story, math, baseball, or are working with people who have short-term memory loss, you might enjoy this novel.
For More Information
- Ogawa, Yōko. The Housekeeper and the Professor. Translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder. New York : Picador, 2009.
- Watching New Memories Form
Biologically-speaking, new memories are based on changes to synapses – the gaps across which neurons communicate with each other. Now scientists in America say they have found a way to witness these synaptic changes right after they've happened,...
- ...a Pleasant Thing It Is For The Eyes To Behold The Sun (ecclesiastes 11.4)
It’s the excuse you’ve always needed to work outside on sunny days – researchers have shown that pleasantly warm, sunny weather can improve people’s mood and mental ability, but not if they’re stuck indoors. Matthew Keller and colleagues tested...
- Neuropsychology Of Attention And Distraction In Older Adults
From The Daily Californian:Distractions Cause Memory Loss By OMEED ELBOUDWAREJ Contributing Writer Wednesday, September 28, 2005 UC Berkeley researchers have used brain imaging to confirm that, contrary to popular opinion, short-term memory loss common...
- Memory And The Reference Librarian
Ah, the intersection of cognitive and information science -- truly a dream for the CogSci Librarian. Today's confluence twins the reference librarian and memory, based on a recent article by Walter Butler in Reference Services Review entitled "Re-establishing...
- "new Thinking About The Brain" On The Connection
WBUR's radio show "The Connection" discussed "New Thinking about the Brain" today. Guests Earl Miller, Professor of Neuroscience and Associate Director of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Matt Wilson, Professor of Neuroscience also...