Am I Doing It Wrong? The Secrets To Protecting Our Memory
Feb 5, 2026
Wendy Suzuki, NYU neuroscientist and author, specializes in memory and brain plasticity. She explains episodic vs working memory and why some childhood memories fade. She discusses how sleep, stress, exercise, social connection, diet and tech use shape memory. She warns about unproven supplements and highlights exercise and deep learning as practical boosters.
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Memory Is Contextual And Hippocampus-Centered
- Episodic memory stores facts and events tied to context like who was there and how it felt.
- Wendy Suzuki highlights the hippocampus as the core structure forming these memories.
Forgetting Often Means Interference, Not Decline
- Normal aging often means more interference from accumulated information, not inevitable widespread memory loss.
- Increased life demands make retrieving new items harder, which is different from dementia.
Practice Recall To Strengthen Memory
- Practice recall and repetition to strengthen memory for names and facts.
- Use imagery and repeat the name three times when you meet someone to lock it in.
