Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda Steve Ramirez: Forget about it
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Feb 3, 2026 Steve Ramirez, a memory researcher and Boston University professor who studies how memories form and change. He talks about experiments that manipulate memories in rodents. He explains how memories are spread across the brain. He explores separating emotional charge from factual recall, therapeutic approaches for traumatic memories, and the ethical risks of erasing pain.
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Memories Are Distributed And Modifiable
- Memories are distributed across brain regions and include sensory, contextual, and emotional components.
- Targeting specific cells can change emotional response while preserving factual recall.
Every Recall Rewrites Memory
- Every recall reshapes a memory biologically and psychologically, so memories are never identical twice.
- Ramirez likens recall to hitting "save as," storing an updated version each time.
Use Recall With Therapy To Soften Trauma
- Use noninvasive tools like language and therapy to change harmful memory responses in humans.
- Combine recall with cognitive techniques or medicinal approaches to reduce emotional intensity.
