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They say that it’s unnecessary to remember things we can quickly find on the internet.
When you go to school or work in the morning, do you have to spend a few minutes just to find out where you put your keys yesterday? Do you sometimes forget the name of someone you just met? If you answered yes to these questions, you’re probably not thrilled about it.
Forgetfulness
Well, you no longer have to be ashamed of it; a new study published in Neuron says that it’s not bad at all and forgetfulness is even a sign of intelligence. Your brain is able to focus only on important things, CNN reports.
Paul Frankland and Blake Richards from the University of Toronto, who conducted this study, say that the purpose of memory is to transfer, that is, to remember the most important information and let go of the unnecessary from your mind.
“It’s important that the brain forgets irrelevant information and focuses on things that help it make decisions in important matters in real life,” says Richards, adding that only new memories can help us in new situations and serious decisions.
During the study, scientists examined data on brain activity and memory loss in both humans and animals. They found that the brain is able to replace old memories with new, relevant ones, retaining the essence of the old memory while erasing the details. That is exactly the proper and intelligent behavior of the brain.
