How Human Memory Works
Radio Haanji Podcast
How Human Memory Works: The Science Explained - The Deep Talk
- Published
- September 1, 2026
- Duration
- 53:10
- Summary source
- description
- Last updated
- Sep 13, 2026
Discusses In 1953, a young man known publicly only by his initials, H.M., underwent brain surgery to stop seve…
Summary
In 1953, a young man known publicly only by his initials, H.M., underwent brain surgery to stop severe seizures — and woke up unable to form a single new memory for the rest of his life. He could hold a conversation, then forget it had ever happened the moment he looked away. His case became one of the most cited in the history of neuroscience, because it…
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Show notes
In 1953, a young man known publicly only by his initials, H.M., underwent brain surgery to stop severe seizures — and woke up unable to form a single new memory for the rest of his life. He could hold a conversation, then forget it had ever happened the moment he looked away. His case became one of the most cited in the history of neuroscience, because it proved something doctors had only suspected: memory isn't stored in one place in the brain, and losing the right piece of tissue can erase you