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Surprising truths about memory with Dr. Ranganath episode artwork

Mar 10, 2025 31 min

Surprising truths about memory with Dr. Ranganath

from Nudge Hosted by Phill Agnew

I explore the surprising science of memory with Dr. Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember. Today, Dr. Ranganath reveals why forgetting isn’t a flaw but a feature of our brains and how simple strategies can dramatically improve recall. You’ll learn: Why forgetting is normal (feat. Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve). How multitasking physically changes your brain and worsens memory. Why filming concerts on your phone makes the experience less memorable. Proven techniques from memory athletes to help you remember more. ---- Sign up to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ Charan’s book Why We Remember: https://charanranganath.com/ ---- Sources: Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Über das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. ESPN. (2018). LeBron James recalling play with photographic memory [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHAsh-i6WQ Miller, G. A. (1956). The magic number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81–97. Ranganath, C. (2024). Why we remember: Unlocking memory’s power to hold on to what matters. Doubleday. Tulving, E., & Schacter, D. L. (1990). Priming and human memory systems. Science, 247(4940), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2296719 White, R. (2018). How to memorize a deck of cards (fastest way taught by memory champion) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/yevxvTbUa4s?si=x447uhmpm9-z--SD

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Surprising truths about memory with Dr. Ranganath

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