Why is developing long term memory so hard for our brain?

 

Anyone who has tried to learn a new language, memorize a poem or song, or remember a dialogue for a play has encountered the frustrating limitation of our brain's memory: we cannot memorize things after just one, two, or even half a dozen attempts. In contrast, we can instantly store almost anything in a computer or phone memory and recall it whenever needed. What makes our brain’s memory different from electronic memory? Why does our brain’s memory seem so poor compared to computer memory?

Computer Memory: Localized and Precise

Electronic devices use memory for a single purpose: to store information (in the form of 0’s and 1’s) until it is intentionally erased to make room for new information. Each bit is assigned to specific transistors with well-defined locations, allowing precise recall. All stored information is treated equally; the memory does not prioritize or discard information as useless. Unlike our brains, computer memory does not "forget" or remove what seems unnecessary.

Our Brain's Memory: Adaptive and Selective

While we might wish our brains worked like computer memory, evolution has given us a different type of memory system. Imagine bringing in your daily mail: a mix of important letters and junk mail. To avoid clutter, you discard the junk mail. Similarly, our brain filters out daily experiences to prevent information overload. If we recorded everything we saw daily, it would require about 50 GB of memory. Storing all this data over the years would overwhelm even the largest brains. Thus, our brain evolved to register only important information and let the "useless" information fade away.

Memory and Survival

Our brain stores long-term memories related to our well-being and survival or those we prioritize. Short-term memory allows us to remember things like a phone number or name for a few minutes. Repetition helps create long-term memories, but even these can fade unless regularly used.

Key Characteristics of Brain Memory:

1. Selective Filtering: Our brain prevents information overload by erasing non-essential information.

2. Essential Retention: Critical information for survival is stored indefinitely.

3. Associative Recall: Memories can be triggered by unrelated stimuli like a smell, song, or image.

4. Redundancy: We can recognize familiar faces in a crowd, even with partial visual cues.

5. Energy Efficiency: The brain uses about 10 watts of power, compared to computers that need much more energy.

6. Massive Storage and Quick Recall: Our brain can store vast amounts of useful information and recall it in fractions of a second, handling complex image processing tasks that even the most advanced computers struggle with.

The brain’s memory relies on neurons and synapses. With around 100 billion neurons and over 100 trillion synapses, information is stored in overlapping neurons. The distinctness of information is maintained through varying levels and paths of electric signals. This non-localized storage allows for enormous information storage and energy-efficient processing at speeds comparable to petabits per second.

To differentiate between pieces of information, the brain forms deep neural pathways through repetition and association. This slow and repetitive process can be frustrating, but it enables children and adults alike to recognize and recall information in ways computers cannot.

Encore!!! Learning Application

The Encore!!! learning app is designed to facilitate deep learning and long-term memory formation. It uses the mobile device’s memory to store and recall information and provides features like "bite-sized" playlists and "listen-speak-repeat-test" cycles to help transfer new information to long-term memory.

Enhance Language Learning with Encore!!!

Certain types of information related to survival, like recognizing the bark of a vicious dog, can be memorized quickly. Similarly, new immigrants can rapidly learn basic language elements necessary for survival. However, non-essential information like new languages, songs, poetry, theatrical plays, and prayers require extensive repetition. Children learn languages through repeated exposure, while adults often find the process frustrating. Encore!!!’s built-in functionalities make this repetitive learning process more manageable, enhancing language acquisition and other memory-related tasks.