Auction #21: Memory and the Brain

Cecil Castellucci’s story caught my attention because it was about memory and the brain. Over time, our memories come to define us. If we could change them by altering brain chemistry, we might change some fundamental aspect of who we are. Remembering and forgetting might have profound consequences, as they do in the story.

Dendrites, named after the Greek word for tree, are branched structures that connect neurons in the brain, building knowledge and memories. Many images came to mind as I read the story, but I kept returning to the shapes of dendrites. The resulting image is a dark forest of neurons in which the self is lost, trying to stay warm by burning bits of memory. In solipsistic fashion, the mind becomes the entire landscape, including the sky.

The day after I chose The Long And Short Of Long Term Memory, I heard a five-minute segment on National Public Radio about the scientist and research that apparently inspired the story. There may soon be ways to pinpoint and erase unwanted memories. What would you keep? What would you burn to stay warm?

Ingrid Kallick