How are memories created and accessed inside the human brain?

Question

No religious answers please.

So from what I have heard, you don't know? :-)
Seems like what everybody is saying, in a few too many words, is that it is too complicated for us to understand at the moment.

Maybe that's the whole concept though, such a huge number of connections could have very unexpected results, memories, thoughts and feelings, a sense of self, ect...

It's kind of like life (the game), maybe we could make a brain with it ^_o

Answer 1

Memories are (in theory) created and stored when your brain cells make new connections to each other. These connections allow electrical (and chemical) impulses to follow new pathways, resulting in different overall behavior in the brain.

Beyond that, it's not well understood at all. Scientists are able to study a small number of cells and a small number of connections, but not enough to give any idea of how memories or intelligence work. Someone will have to develop technology to study vastly larger networks of cells, but I haven't heard of a good way to do it yet.

Answer 2

A biologist will tell you that memories are created when neurons and such connect, but very little is known beyond that.

I really think the answer lies in chemistry: I think that we seem to be a series of chemical reactions. That's just my opinion, and I don't have much to support it except that one should consider what we already know about biochemistry and chemical reactions within the body.

Is life just a series of chemical reactions? I don't know for sure, but the chances seem fairly good if one considers all of the chemical reactions and such which occur in living things.

Answer 3

basic and generally accepted classification of memory is based on the duration of memory retention, and identifies three distinct types of memory: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

The sensory memory corresponds approximately to the initial moment that an item is perceived. Some of this information in the sensory area proceeds to the sensory store, which is referred to as short-term memory. Sensory memory is characterized by the duration of memory retention from milliseconds to seconds and short-term memory from seconds to minutes.

These stores are generally characterised as of strictly limited capacity and duration, whereas in general stored information can be retrieved in a period of time which ranges from days to years; this type of memory is called long-term memory.

Answer 4

Damn good question. I'm adding it to my watch list.