Every once in a while I come across an article in a newspaper, magazine, etc. that is so bold and unique that I remember it for many, many years to come. I’ve been doing some journal critiques on executive function, memory, recall and the brain activity involved in each. This brought to mind an old article I read in Spin magazine while sitting in a doctors office back in 1998.
The article entitled “A Hole in the Head” (click link to open article in new window) discussed a radical (and apparently misguided) practice of drilling a hole through your cranium to increase brain function. The practice, known as trepanation, is one of the oldest surgical procedures known to human history. In ancient times holes were drilled in the skull to release demons. Today we’ve got erudite folks doing it for the belief that it will increase their brain functioning, creating a permenant high, where drugs have failed them in the past.
I admit such a practice is probably not very sound, but my point here is to not debate the plus and minus of drilling a hole in your head. As a young man I found the article to be fascinating, so much so I stole the magazine and have held on to it all this time. Now as I look back the question I ask myself is: Why did I find it fascinating and why have I held on to that information all this time? How does that differentiate from other data that I wish to retain? Those are the great mysteries of the human mind I wish to understand.
We know generally the neuro-chemical functions of memory and what happens when new memories are formed and recalled. We tend to remember things we are interested in better than things we are not. On the other hand, some of us remember the most arcane, minor, trivial, and downright pointless information that we don’t need, don’t care to know, yet somehow can’t help but learn. Why? Is learning and memorization found somewhere between the interesting and the trivial or unique?
If we can figure out what part of the brain engages that “this is important, dammit, now learn it” function, and more importantly the conditions needed to activate that function, it might be possible for our brains to become computers. Press this button to record, this button to recall, and so forth. Then that brings up the larger Gattaca-style questons: If we all were able to have exceptional memory what would set us apart or make us more valuable in work and study than another?
