2002 Seminar

Memory Matters
16th-17th February 2002
The Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre School of Oriental and African Studies, 10, Thornhaugh Street, London WC1H OXG

Memory links us to our past, guides us through our present and helps us to make sense of our future as it unfolds. Without it we would be incapable of deconstructing the world, unable to amass knowledge or even to perform the simplest tasks. So important is it to our sense of identity, our personality, our attitudes and perceptions, that memory is one of the core elements of human thought and reason. From one point of view, it could be said that we are what we remember.

But what do we actually understand about memory? How far can we trust it? It used to be thought of as a mere library, a store of neat files locked away in convenient compartments of the brain. Research now shows that the laying down of memory, its processing and retrieval are far more complex - rather like a game of Chinese whispers. Instead of creating, as it were, a reliable video-recorded version of the past, the human brain operates a memory which takes a very personal view. Within it recollections are selected, edited and embellished. Sometimes they are even invented, or completely false, while displaying all the attributes of the real thing.

This seminar will tackle these and other fundamental topics - such as the 'infallibility' of eyewitness accounts and the use of hypnosis in information retrieval. It will ask why some memories seem to fade within hours, while others linger for decades, or even a lifetime. As we are so often told, the brain is capable of infinite recollection and memory is crucial to our survival. We will be exploring why, if this is so, our memories so often fail.

By drawing on the work of experts in many fields, we will be looking for answers to key questions surrounding this complex, mysterious and vital issue. And maybe we shall see whether it is possible to turn the memory of a goldfish into that of an elephant.

PROGRAMME
Saturday, February 16th
Chairman: David Wade (with Henri Bortoft, Dr. Kevin Byron and Pat Williams)
Note: Each session allows for some twenty minutes of question and discussion at the end. If you want to write your question down, please do so and it will be collected.

9.45-10.00 am Chairman's introduction

10.00-11.00 am How memories are made
Professor Steven Rose

11.00-11.30 am Coffee/tea

11.30-12.30 pm Memory, brain, self and culture
Professor Martin Conway

12.30-2.00 pm Lunch

2.00-3.00 pm Lost in Time: making sense of amnesia
Professor Michael Eysenck

3.00-3.30 pm Tea/coffee

3.30-4.30 pm Learn to Remember: practical memory techniques to tackle forgetfulness
Dominic O'Brien

4.30-5.15 pm Panel questions and discussion, followed by wind-up and dispersal.

Sunday, February 17th

10.00-11.00 am Do sleep and dreams help us form memories?
Dr. Mark Blagrove

11.00-11.30 am Coffee/tea