Discussion section: We will open up the question of whether memory is a faithful record and show how our patchwork memories serve us better than a mental museum.

Discussion 6 — How We Construct and Lose Our Memories

Step 1: Address the following questions in discussion in one paragraph for each of the three question items:

Questions

1. How memories formed at the following levels?

1. Molecular: What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?
2. Cellular: How is the hippocampus important for memory?
3. System: How widely are memories distributed in the brain?

2.  How would you distinguish amnesia from normal forgetting? When would you call an absent-minded person amnesic?

3. What’s better: A memory that records objectively and accurately, or a memory that can be updated to support newer levels of understanding?

4. Post responses of 75 to 100 words each to two of your fellow class members.