Remember, Remember...the self

       Have you ever wondered what your life would be like day to day if you were unable to create memories? What if you never even knew what a memory was and just existed day to day. I doubt you would be able to live more then a couple of days because, although few of us think about it memory is essential to our existence. Without it we wouldn't be able to learn what is good and bad for us and survive it unless we remember and stored that event in our brains. Below you will find 10 unforgettable facts about human memory.

        In our text in module 13.2 in the portion titled applications and extensions it mentions how in the 1960s and 1970s scientists tested the idea that maybe memory is stored in a specific molecule. Specifically the text mentions RNA or a protein. Now I find this interesting because a few minutes later I mention that concept to my biology major buddy who tells me about a theory (name of such theory unknown at this time). He stated that if ever you are some where different; in this example I live in South Texas and go to Mexico. Now if I am somewhere in Mexico and recognize part of the terrain although I have never lived there it could be a memory that is coded in my DNA because my ancestors lived there. Now our text did state that research wasn't pursued because of difficulty replicating the findings. However, it didn't state that it completely halted. In an article (published in 2008) I read while researching this idea I learned that scientists have since produced a theory that memories, specifically long term memories can be coded into our DNA by a process called DNA-methylation. Now I am no chemistry expert or one of DNA for that matter but the article is very interesting.

     I wouldn't be surprised if this topic finds its way back into formidable research labs and is proven that in fact memories can and are coded into a specific molecule. Imagine the possibilities!