11.03.11 - 08.04.11
MEMORY LAB: HAVE I SEEN YOU BEFORE?
Eight separate experiments will investigate a range of aspects of functional memory from how good your short-term memory is to how and why we evolved memory in the first place. Be prepared for a barrage of information you will have to recall including numbers, letters, faces and even smells! We're also inviting people to come and record their earliest ever memory as MEMORY LAB seeks to amass the largest database of earliest memories in the world.
Curators
Professor Shane O'Mara - Experimental Brain Research at Trinity College Dublin
Highlights
Experiments
TWO SECOND MEMORY
WHAT DID THAT ROAD SIGN JUST SAY?
Can you recall an image or a name you have just been exposed to and will you remember the details tomorrow? How does time effect your ability to recall? In this task we will test your Visual Iconic Memory.
HEAD LIKE A SIEVE?
REMEMBER THAT PHONE NUMBER YOU JUST LOOKED UP?
In this test we will measure your Short Term Memory based on the number of words and digits you can recall over a short time span. Compare yourself to others and find out if you really do have a head like a sieve.
SLOW MEMORY?
ARE YOU QUICK AT ADDING NUMBERS IN YOUR HEAD?
Working Memory is the ability of the prefrontal cortex in your brain to store information needed to perform everyday tasks. We may also need to learn new information quickly and discard what is no longer relevant—a process known as updating. Working Memory is known to diminish with age. In this experiment you can test your Working Memory with number sequences.
DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?
KNOW THE FACE BUT HAVE NO IDEA OF THE NAME?
Remembering names and faces requires your memory to make associations between different pieces of information. This experiment tests your Associative Memory, which involves an area in the temporal lobe of your brain called the Hippocampus. Assess your own capacity for mental association through pairing faces with correct names.
TOTAL RECALL
Why are we better at recalling recurring situations in our lives? What triggers the brain to remember certain details and not others? The ability to remember events encountered previously is a classic test of memory.
SAVED BY THE MEMORIES
WHY DO HUMANS HAVE MEMORIES?
How and why has the human memory evolved? Research suggests that we evolved the capacity to remember in order to avoid potential predators and remember the location of our food sources. Your brain is well equipped at processing survival related information. In this experiment we will find out if your memory serves you well in threatening scenarios.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
RUSHING OUT THE DOOR AND FORGOT TO TURN THE IRON OFF?
How is your recall affected by multi-tasking? In this ‘pen and paper’ test we look at your Dual Tasking Memory andby over-loading your brain with too much information we are putting it into a more stressed state. How will you perform under pressure?
MEMORABLE SCENTS
SMELL OF SUMMER RAIN: WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?
Certain smells can trigger particularly vivid memories and associations for different people. Research suggests that our memory for different odours may be better then our memory for other sensory information. Our sense of smell can decline with age and so does our memory for odours. This experiment will test your memory for particular smells.
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
This exploratory survey asks you to recall your earliest memory and rate a range of criteria associated with it. Share your early memories on Science Gallery’s memory wall!
STRESSED OUT OF MY MIND
Cortisol is a hormone involved in our response to stress. Levels of cortisol in our blood fluctuate throughout the day but are particularly high when individuals are stressed. Research suggests that this in turn can influence functional memory performance. By donating a sample of your saliva for cortisol measurement we'll investigate if there is any correlation between cortisol levels, stress and memory.
The following papers contain more information on the effects of cortisol on memory and the brain.
A BRAIN FIT FOR MEMORIES
Recent research shows that exercise maybe a powerful protective strategy against dementia and age-related cognitive decline. It may also enhance cognitive function in young healthy adults. Test your cardio respiratory fitness at MEMORYLAB to assess whether your performancein cognitive tasks correlates with your physical fitness.