This morning I suffered from a disturbing failure of my recognition memory. I couldn't figure out what Dexter or Californication were even though I had watched both series from start to end. Even after asking my wife the names of the shows seemed completely unfamiliar though I could recall the general content. [more inside]
posted by srboisvert on Nov 2, 2009 - 24 answers

My mind is blown, it's not my own, where did my idea go? I'm feeling fine, but I've lost my mind! Help? [more inside]
posted by Salvor Hardin on Sep 20, 2009 - 11 answers

Those who have learned to speak and think in another language, do you remember the age (and day) you started thinking in your current spoken language? [more inside]
posted by querty on Aug 4, 2009 - 30 answers

At what age do your memories begin? [more inside]
posted by Billegible on Apr 19, 2009 - 78 answers

Is there a limit to the human brain's storage capacity? [more inside]
posted by trokair on Dec 14, 2007 - 24 answers

Help me rejuvenate my mind! Are the Posit Science or Brain Fit programs of any real use to a (maybe below par) 50 year old? Are there any other worthwhile books or exercises to help sharpen up my memory, attentiveness, concentration and aliveness? [more inside]
posted by DarkForest on Apr 5, 2007 - 10 answers

For a lot of people, a particular aroma can be a strong trigger for memory. I don't think it works in reverse: why is this? [more inside]
posted by peacay on Jan 18, 2007 - 17 answers

Are there any games or programs similar to Brain Age for Windows or OS X-based systems? I love the concept, but I can't see myself buying a Nintendo DS to play a single title.
posted by mrbill on Jul 31, 2006 - 8 answers

How can I recode low-level brain functions? [more inside]
posted by Kickstart70 on Oct 9, 2005 - 8 answers

Are mental blanks normal? [more inside]
posted by wackybrit on Jul 21, 2005 - 31 answers

I am taking a difficult test Monday morning and it is very important that I pass. I'm pretty much prepared, and I'll be cramming all weekend, but I'd like to know if any of you kind souls have had any tangible good results in memory enhancing supplements such as Ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, or Gotu kola. If so what seemed to bring the best results? Also are there any types of foods or eating habits that have a positive effect on memory and testing performance? Will anything help on such a short notice?
posted by sublivious on Apr 30, 2005 - 17 answers

fff asked a really good question about how children think. Many responders wrote that they have no memories from their childhoods. This freaks me out. I remember my childhood more vividly than my college years. I have a childhood friend who also has no memories from when she was a kid, which is really odd, because I remember all sorts of things we did together. Have there been any studies that shed light over why some people can recall their childhoods and others can't?
posted by grumblebee on Dec 1, 2004 - 16 answers

What on earth is going on in children's heads?

I have no memory of being a child, and certainly none of what sort of things I thought about when I was a kid. As an adult, I see kids do inexplicable things and wonder just how the heck they thought to say/do such strange things; and I see kids witness/experience things that they have no framework whatsoever for understanding.

What goes on in a kid's brain? Is it noise, is it long ponderings, is it blank, is it confused, etc. Any idea what "it sounds like" inside there? [more inside]
posted by five fresh fish on Dec 1, 2004 - 61 answers