• Question: If all people's brain's can 'take pictures' why do only some people have a photographic memory?

    Asked by lolsoffun to Fiona, Jane, Joanna, Michelle, William on 22 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Fiona Randall

      Fiona Randall answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      It depends on how different people’s brains store memories. Some people remember more specific details of a situation, others remember key facts. I don’t think there is one that is better than the other, except if you only have one night to revise for an exam 😉
      People with some types of brain damage from strokes and diseases can no longer form new memories and only have the old ones.

    • Photo: Joanna Brooks

      Joanna Brooks answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Hello! Good question! In order to understand more about this type of memory scientists (like the ones in my group) are working on how people create ‘visual memories’ in general. If we can understand this we might be able to understand why some people have a photographic or ‘flashbulb’ memory. It’s probably genetic and something to do with the memory system in general.

    • Photo: Michelle Murphy

      Michelle Murphy answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Everyone can train themselves to have a photographic memory but some will have to work harder at it than others. Likewise some people have to work harder at remembering words (eg poems/songs) than others. I am rubbish at remembering the words to songs. It is probably genetic and to do with how we process our thoughts.

    • Photo: William Davies

      William Davies answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Interesting question, and I’m afraid I don’t know the answer. Perhaps people with a photographic memory have better ‘brain memory stores’ initially as a consequence of their genes, and then these get improved through practice? I think most people’s memory can be improved substantially through particular training techniques

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