Re-recording human memories

摘要

Memory research is undergoing a transformation. No longer is memory thought to be a hard-wiring of information in the brain. Instead, it seems to be a process of storage and re-storage. Two papers in this issue take us closer to understanding the dynamic nature of human memory. On page 614, Fenn et al. show that sleep can rescue memories that were lost during the day. And on page 616, Walker et al. demonstrate that stabilized memories can be re-stored when they are reactivated ― and that those memories are lost if this process is interfered with.