• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • WordPress
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Science Update

Science Update

Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS

  • Spotlights
  • Reality Check
  • Why Is It?
  • Radio Archives
  • Sciup @ School
Home » Radio Archive » Daily Show » Memory Tagging

Memory Tagging

February 15, 2011
https://podcast.scienceupdate.com/110215_sciup_memo.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window

BOB HIRSHON (host):

Selective storage in sleep…I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

 It’s long been known that sleep transfers memories to long-term storage.  Now, German researchers have shown that the brain chooses which memories to store.  University of Lübeck neuro-endocrinologist Jan Born and his colleagues taught volunteers either a list of paired words or a finger-tapping exercise.  Afterwards, half were told there would be a test in two days.  But actually, all of them were tested.

JAN BORN (Univ. of Lübeck & Univ. of Tübingen, Germany):

Only when they were informed about the later recall, there was robust, very substantial benefit for these memories during sleep.

HIRSHON:

In contrast, the group that hadn’t expected a test improved only a little.  Born suspects that the brain tags important experiences throughout the day, and preferentially stores the tagged memories while we sleep. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.

Category: Daily ShowTag: Brain Science, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Previous Post:Bats & Carnivorous Plants
Next Post:Puberty & Osteoporosis

Sidebar

Radio Program Archives

Want to learn more about the brain? The environment? Here you can browse the topics that come up regularly on Science Update.

Search the Archives

Categories

  • Daily Show
  • Station Download
  • Weekly Show

Find By Tag

  • 2020
  • Acoustics & Sound
  • Aging
  • Animal Behavior
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Astronomy & Space
  • Biology
  • Brain Science
  • Bugs
  • Cat Video
  • Chemistry
  • Children & Families
  • cicadas
  • Climate & Weather
  • Communications
  • Computer Science
  • Economics & Business
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Environment & Conservation
  • Genetics & Evolution
  • Geology
  • Marine Science
  • Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine & Health
  • Microbiology
  • Nanotechnology
  • NASA
  • Nutrition & Food Science
  • Paleontology & Dinosaurs
  • Physics
  • Plants & Agriculture
  • Political Science
  • Reality Check
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports & Fitness
  • spotlight
  • Spotlight Bugs
  • Terrorism & War
  • Why Is It? Questions
  • Wildlife
  • Year in Review

Find By Date

Science Update
  • About Science Update
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Image of computer screen depicting an orange cat with a variety of alphanumeric scientific data superimposed on the the screen.
Spotted skunk performing handstand to threaten predators

Copyright © 2025 · Springtail Media LLC · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Pongos