“When he was first asked for the source of Mr. Bush’s quotation, Dr. Tyson insisted, “I have explicit memory of those words being spoken by the president. I reacted on the spot, making note for possible later reference in my public discourse. Odd that nobody seems to be able to find the quote anywhere.” He then added, “One of our mantras in science is that the absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence.”
That is how we all usually respond when our memory is challenged. We have an abstract understanding that people can remember the same event differently… But when our own memories are challenged, we may neglect all this and instead respond emotionally, acting as though we must be right and everyone else must be wrong… Erroneous witness recollections have become so concerning that the National Academy of Sciences convened an expert panel to review the state of research on the topic. This fall the panel (which one of us, Daniel Simons, served on) released a comprehensive report that recommended procedures to minimize the chances of false memory and mistaken identification, including videotaping police lineups and improving jury instructions.”
Memories are so funny. I sometimes, kind of, keep a diary and it’s really strange to go back and re-read what I wrote about some important moment because there are always not just details I have forgotten but really important nuances and contexts.
I also feel like there are things I don’t even bother trying to remember anymore, because I know that I can look them up later (as a friend of mine said recently “I have so many memories of this place… and by memories, I mean facebook photos).
No comments:
Post a Comment