Evolution of Memory & Brain

Palomar · 2004-08-24 17:41:37

*What with all the documentation methods we now possess and the ability to refresh our memories consistently at will (photographs, cheap books, internet archives of news stories, etc., etc.), how will this influence the future evolution of the brain, and memory in particular?

Of course lots of people have lousy memories (my sister is one...don't tell her I said that), but I wonder if more folks in the future will have sharper memories.

Just something I've been thinking about lately.

--Cindy

Euler · 2004-08-24 19:57:51

Darwinian evolution and natural selection are concepts that don't really apply to humans any more. I am guessing that there will not be any evolutionary changes, but in the next few decades we may see people starting to use genetic engineering or cybernetics to enhance their brains.

Rxke · 2004-08-25 01:49:45

I agree Darwinism doesn't have too much of a role in humanity anymore.

I'd say that before written text existed people had vastly better (because trained) memories than today.

Oral tradition, storytelling etc.
Now most people go: "why would I memorize stuff when I can go and look it up?"

If there is any evolution, I'd think it would be towards better *choosing* from an overabundant pile of information....

I have a great little book about this issue: oral/writing and memory, but too bad it's by a Dutch professor, not translated, he has some very insightful things to say.

Like memorizing is still usefull, you have a certain intellectual 'bagage' at your mental fingertips that way, making you able to do certain things faster, get more options (things you don't have memorized, you won't use so much to solve a problem etc.)

Story i use to tell about a teacher of mine who could do incredible things with maths, give approx. outcomes to complex calcs almost instantaneously, because he had memorized lots of log tables.
He could glance over a piece of calculations ans say: 'that's wrong' w/o actually doing the stuff over again.
For us it was like magic. For him, it was something most of his colleguas (chemists) were able to do, having grown up in the pre-pocet calculator generation.

Cobra Commander · 2004-08-25 06:03:18

Darwinian evolution and natural selection are concepts that don't really apply to humans any more.

Of course they do, only the selection has changed. Traits that helped us before no longer offer an advantage and others that would have meant death in previous times are now able to perpetuate. Whether such selection is "natural" is open for debate, but selection based on environmental factors is occurring.

As for memory, it seems to be not so much a change in capability as in application. We don't remember mathematical formulas too much anymore, because we don't have to. It's much faster to plug the numbers into cheap machines that spit back answers faster and more reliably than we can. Yet we still remember plenty of stuff in an organized manner. We have calculators so we don't bother with mathematical formulas, but since we don't have a way to pull up literature, news, scientific developments or obscure Soviet tactical theories without some specifics in the first place, we remember those things at least well enough to be able to quickly locate the source again later.

But then again, too many seem unable to remember what the telescreen said a week ago... Its own kind of selection, it seems.

EDIT:: Removed long, rambling example.

dicktice · 2004-08-27 10:45:51

Just wait: When we start living and propagating off-Earth, "Darwinianism" will be seen to be alive and well. When that happens, we won't need to invent "aliens from space" any longer, since we will evolve to become them.

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#1 2004-08-24 17:41:37

Re: Evolution of Memory & Brain

#2 2004-08-24 19:57:51

Re: Evolution of Memory & Brain

#3 2004-08-25 01:49:45

Re: Evolution of Memory & Brain

#4 2004-08-25 06:03:18

Re: Evolution of Memory & Brain

#5 2004-08-27 10:45:51

Re: Evolution of Memory & Brain

Board footer