Uploaded June 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
There is a science to what we remember and what we don't. For instance, why do we remember certain pieces of artwork, some brands’ logos, or even people's faces? University of Chicago psychologist Wilma Bainbridge has been studying what makes things memorable for over a decade. Through her research, she has found that there is a common thread about what most people remember—and even what we remember incorrectly (a phenomenon called the Mandela effect)—but most recently, why some visuals are intrinsically more memorable.
Bainbridge directs the Brain Bridge Lab, where her team has created a machine learning model called ResMem, which can predict the memorability of faces, artwork and more. They have tested their AI tool in real-life settings, like the Art Institute of Chicago, with hopes that similar memorability tools could be used in educational settings, criminal justice, science and medicine.
0:00 - Introduction to Wilma Bainbridge and the Mandela Effect
1:30 - Example of the Mandela Effect: The Monopoly Man
3:15 - Scientific Research of the Mandela Effect
5:00 - Memory and Memorability Research at UChicago
6:45 - Development of the ResMem AI Tool
8:30 - Memory Representation in the Brain
11:00 - Inherent Memorability of Images
13:00 - Memorability Across Faces
16:00 - Implications for Education and Medicine
18:30 - False Memories and the Criminal Justice System
20:45 - AI and Memory Applications
There is a science to what we remember and what we don't. For instance, why do we remember certain pieces of artwork, some brands’ logos, or even people's faces? University of Chicago psychologist Wilma Bainbridge has been studying what makes things memorable for over a decade. Through her research, she has found that there is a common thread about what most people remember—and even what we remember incorrectly (a phenomenon called the Mandela effect)—but most recently, why some visuals are intrinsically more memorable.
Bainbridge directs the Brain Bridge Lab, where her team has created a machine learning model called ResMem, which can predict the memorability of faces, artwork and more. They have tested their AI tool in real-life settings, like the Art Institute of Chicago, with hopes that similar memorability tools could be used in educational settings, criminal justice, science and medicine.
0:00 - Introduction to Wilma Bainbridge and the Mandela Effect
1:30 - Example of the Mandela Effect: The Monopoly Man
3:15 - Scientific Research of the Mandela Effect
5:00 - Memory and Memorability Research at UChicago
6:45 - Development of the ResMem AI Tool
8:30 - Memory Representation in the Brain
11:00 - Inherent Memorability of Images
13:00 - Memorability Across Faces
16:00 - Implications for Education and Medicine
18:30 - False Memories and the Criminal Justice System
20:45 - AI and Memory Applications
