Joseph LeDuox
Joseph LeDoux is a professor and a member of the Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology at NYU. His work is focused on the brain mechanisms of emotion and memory. (http://bigthink.com/josephledoux) Click here to see other interviews and videos of his work.
Q: What is your definition of memory?
A: Memory is the ability to create a representation of experience for use at a later time. Memory is acquired through learning. If you do not learn, you cannot remember.
Q: What would you say is the main reason people change or update there memories?
A: Except in the case of studying or trying to learn some facts or skills, people do not intentionally update their memory. Experience updates memory by interacting with the brain. Updating is an automatic process.
Q: To what extent is memory trustworthy?
A: Memory is not completely trustworthy. It usually works pretty well, but is always potentially fallable in detail if not in jist. The jist is usually roughly correct.
Q: Are we defined by our memories?
A:We are our memories. If we couldn't remember who we are from day to day we couldn't be that person. Much of memory is implicit (unconscious) so we don't have to try to remember who we are, we just do because the brain is wired that way.
A: Memory is the ability to create a representation of experience for use at a later time. Memory is acquired through learning. If you do not learn, you cannot remember.
Q: What would you say is the main reason people change or update there memories?
A: Except in the case of studying or trying to learn some facts or skills, people do not intentionally update their memory. Experience updates memory by interacting with the brain. Updating is an automatic process.
Q: To what extent is memory trustworthy?
A: Memory is not completely trustworthy. It usually works pretty well, but is always potentially fallable in detail if not in jist. The jist is usually roughly correct.
Q: Are we defined by our memories?
A:We are our memories. If we couldn't remember who we are from day to day we couldn't be that person. Much of memory is implicit (unconscious) so we don't have to try to remember who we are, we just do because the brain is wired that way.
