memory.

If you are anything like me you don't have the best

of memories so let's explain why that is.

In this facts in five I'm going to explain everything

that you need to know about memory

in five minutes or less.

Today we're reaching deep into the brain and pulling

out a ton of information about how we recall things

and possibly how to become better

at remembering those things.

And like I said if you're anything like me

you're going to need this information.

This is facts in five, all about memory.

So what is memory?

I'm glad you asked Imma tells ya.

Memory is the process within the brain where

information is encoded, stored, and then retrieved

when something is required to be remembered.

Think of your brain almost like an advanced hard drive

with the sequence of events that goes as follows.

First you encounter the information through one or more

of your various senses.

We got something here time to store it.

Second this information is sorted and coded,

that's to say changed to fit properly into the storage

within your mind.

It's kind of like clicking save on your computer.

Third the information is then stored into the right parts

of the brain and maintained there so that it's easy

to recall.

Oh I've seen that guy before,

Mike.

And finally when your brain is cued to retrieve that

information, that stored memory is then accessed

and thus you remember what happened.

Yes that's right your brain is basically like

a very powerful super computer

only exponentially more powerful.

You're basically like a mini robot.

Who has the best memory?

Not me, that's for sure.

While there is no actual scientific evidence of

photographic memories being a real ability in people,

many people are blessed with

an absolute incredible recollection.

There is something called eidetic memory which is

found in only about 10% of children under the age of six

which allows the individual to recall visual information in

great detail after only being exposed to it for a very

short time.

This ability is incredibly rare however,

if the child's ability is nurtured and encouraged,

the child can actually maintain their eidetic memory

however this is even more rare.

The reason that the kids that do have it lose it,

is because verbal skills often alter their memory process.

In other words more talky-talky, less thinky-thinky.

Where do memories go?

There are actually three types of memory your brain

can record.

Sensory memory, short term memory,

and of course long term memory.

Sensory memory is created in less than one second

after an item is perceived and is an automatic response.

Like when you see the booty.

Or a better example would be like if a bird flew swiftly by,

it would be your ability to recall what it looked like

only moments later due to your short term sensory memory.

Then there's short term memory,

the capacity of which is small but allows temporary

storage of small amounts of data.

Say like a phone number that you just heard on the radio.

Then in contrast to that there's long term memory.

That can store information as long as you're alive.

It's the important things like your parent's names,

birthday's, friend's phone numbers and addresses

that you've known for a long time,

stuff like that.

In addition to the amount of time that memories are stored,

short term encodes information acoustically while

long term encodes it semantically.

In other words, one is related to your hearing

and the other is the ability to relate words to things.

So when are memories influenced?

See that was weird that's going to influence your memory,

you're going to remember that.

Seriously though there are a number of factors that

can influence how well our memories work

or how quickly they can encode information into our

long term memories.

Some of these factors include the nutrients from

the food that you eat, how much sleep that you get,

your emotional state when you perceive the information,

any alcohol or drugs in your system,

and your familiarity with your surroundings

just to name some.

Interestingly our smell has been directly linked to

the creation of memories,

that's why for example when you smell somebody's

cologne, if you smell that same cologne five years later,

you'll remember that person.

Farts can have the same affect,

but it's a much less pleasant flashback.

So why is it sometimes hard to remember things?

Yep, I need to know this one.

Improving your memory isn't necessarily about

expanding your brain to hold more data,

it's about teaching yourself new ways to recall

those memories.

According to multiple researchers,

eating healthy, exercising, and sleeping right are

the basics for a good memory.

Additionally, taking on one task at a time instead

of wearing yourself thin and eliminating as much

stress as possible from your life will also benefit you.

And finally, learning new ways to store information

can be a great benefit such mnemonic devices

which is something that I used to use in grade school.

For example, 30 days has September, April, June,

and November.

All the rest have 31 save February minus two carry the six,

okay they work most of the time.

Ah yeah speaking of things to remember,

remember to press that red subscribe button

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all my food pictures and things to remind me

what I did during the day.

It's primarily what I use social media for.

Anyway, have a good day, bye.