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Posted by ehd123   June 27, 2015   4993 views

We've all struggled trying to shove magnanimous amounts of information for exams, be it vocabulary, geometry theorems, biology notes, chemistry reactions, physics equations or even just names of acquaintances we meet at weddings or the likes.  You might question whether after many years of non-stop learning, be it in a classroom setting, or just basic interactions and do's and don'ts, may we run out of space to absorb all the memories, events and information we encounter.

Our brain, unlike the brains of animals and lower ancestors, is not hardwired by instincts. In fact, we have very little in the field of instincts by comparison. Our brain is a learning brain. It is designed to absorb and interconnect information. Now, which of this information actually sticks and which doesn't depends on the type of memory. Usually, those pieces of information crucial to our survival stick the most. Those that are not of much importance do not. Some may get integrated or overwrite outdated or similar pieces of information. True, we have billions and billions of neuron cells, but not each cell is specialized for one and only one piece of information. It's a coalition of connections, many neurons, communicating and firing together on the onset of a stimulus or memory.

On the long run, memories become encoded in 'neural patterns'. Such that trigger words fire up a network related to that trigger word - kind of like a brainstorm. Two similar ideas or thoughts or triggers will engage similar networks related to them. These networks are endless. And the ability of the brain to knit these networks together is limitless. And so, if you are trying to knit long term memories, the good news is your brain capacity is endless. But it may be finite for the short term things : which is another way of pushing forward "Do not cram till last night before the test". This is why we should take time in apprehending and actively seeking out the new information in order to process them into long term - infinite capacity- memory. The key to this is by constantly summoning your NMDA receptors and priming them and repeating. NMDA receptors have a crucial role in learning, especially at younger ages.

But say you forgot an idea, that does not mean that it is completely erased. Sometimes, under the right conditions, you may be able to recall the oldest memories. Practically, the environment most similar to the one when the memory was once encoded makes it easiest to remember and extract that piece of information. For example, if you have been reading whilst listening to a Mozart recital, you would be better off recalling what you read while listening to that recital rather than a Beethoven piece.

The bottom line is, yes, your brain can run out of space under the context of pressure, but no, it won't if it was given enough time to process. Slight Smile

Source: http://www.wired.com/2015/06/can-my-brain-get-too-full/

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