Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Everyone forgets things. We forget what we read, what we study, what we learn. But where do our memories go, after we've forgotten them? And why did we forget in the first place?
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00:00 Introduction
00:30 Memories do battle with each other
1:55 A second way that memories interfere with one another
References:
A great discussion of forgetting (especially theories of cue competition) comes from:
Anderson, M. C., & Neely, J. H. (1996). Interference and inhibition in memory retrieval. In Memory (pp. 237-313). Academic Press. memorycontrol.net/an1996.pdf
The "drinking helps you remember" idea has a relatively long history.
Here's an earlier replication of some of the first work:
Mueller, C. W., Lisman, S. A., & Spear, N. E. (1983). Alcohol enhancement of human memory: Tests of consolidation and interference hypotheses. Psychopharmacology, 80(3), 226-230. https://www.academia.edu/download/46474229/bf0043615820160614-5333-a2occx.pdf
And here's a more recent piece:
Moulton, P. L., Petros, T. V., Apostal, K. J., Park II, R. V., Ronning, E. A., King, B. M., & Penland, J. G. (2005). Alcohol-induced impairment and enhancement of memory: A test of the interference theory. Physiology & behavior, 85(3), 240-245. pubag.nal.usda.gov/download/46671/pdf
The same is true, by the way of other drugs that impair memory formation. They tend to facilitate memory for events and information that happened prior to impairment.
Everyone forgets things. We forget what we read, what we study, what we learn. But where do our memories go, after we've forgotten them? And why did we forget in the first place?
Join my online learning community: benjaminkeep.com/community
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Memories do battle with each other
1:55 A second way that memories interfere with one another
References:
A great discussion of forgetting (especially theories of cue competition) comes from:
Anderson, M. C., & Neely, J. H. (1996). Interference and inhibition in memory retrieval. In Memory (pp. 237-313). Academic Press. memorycontrol.net/an1996.pdf
The "drinking helps you remember" idea has a relatively long history.
Here's an earlier replication of some of the first work:
Mueller, C. W., Lisman, S. A., & Spear, N. E. (1983). Alcohol enhancement of human memory: Tests of consolidation and interference hypotheses. Psychopharmacology, 80(3), 226-230. https://www.academia.edu/download/46474229/bf0043615820160614-5333-a2occx.pdf
And here's a more recent piece:
Moulton, P. L., Petros, T. V., Apostal, K. J., Park II, R. V., Ronning, E. A., King, B. M., & Penland, J. G. (2005). Alcohol-induced impairment and enhancement of memory: A test of the interference theory. Physiology & behavior, 85(3), 240-245. pubag.nal.usda.gov/download/46671/pdf
The same is true, by the way of other drugs that impair memory formation. They tend to facilitate memory for events and information that happened prior to impairment.
