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Mind

We forget details when our brain picks the wrong thing to remember

Scientists have identified the brain mechanisms behind why we often misremember small details, such as an object's colour or location

By Moheb Costandi

20 October 2023

Our memory can often fail us when recalling details such as colours and locations, and now we may know why

Roos Koole/Getty Images

Have you ever forgotten items when trying to recall a shopping list? Or dialled the wrong phone number when attempting to memorise one? The brain mechanisms that cause us to draw a blank in such situations have been identified by scientists in a surprising discovery.

Our so-called working memory retains small pieces of information that are readily accessible for planning, understanding and solving problems in scenarios like these. But it…

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