Ignoring useless information may improve memory

[ghost of miles]

Or certain threads..

Ignoring useless information aids memory: study

LONDON (Reuters) - Filtering out useless information can help people increase their capacity to remember what is really important, researchers said on Wednesday.

Scientists at the University of Oregon in the United States have demonstrated that awareness, or visual working memory, does not depend on extra storage space in the brain but on an ability to ignore what is irrelevant.

"Until now, it's been assumed that people with high capacity visual working memory had greater storage, but actually it's about the bouncer -- a neural mechanism that controls what information gets into awareness," said Edward Vogel who headed the research team.

The findings reported in the journal Nature would overturn the accepted concept of memory capacity, which has suggested that how much a person can remember depends on the amount of information crammed into the brain at one time.

Vogel and his team believe the results could lead to better ways to enhance memory and improve the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive problems such as attention deficit disorder and schizophrenia.

[tonym]

Did someone say something..?

[7/4]

I'm sorry. What were we talking about?

[Jim Alfredson]

"Until now, it's been assumed that people with high capacity visual working memory had greater storage, but actually it's about the bouncer -- a neural mechanism that controls what information gets into awareness," said Edward Vogel who headed the research team.

[BERIGAN]

No joke, I first read the thread's title as useless information may improve memory If that were only true! Did you know that in 1969, there were 2447 Impalas SuperSports?

[Big Deal]

No joke, I first read the thread's title as useless information may improve memory

Same here and I sure was hopeful! One of my co-workers has always been amazed at the amount of useless information I can remember.

[David Ayers]

No joke, I first read the thread's title as useless information may improve memory If that were only true! Did you know that in 1969, there were 2447 Impalas SuperSports?

I'm hoping all the useless information I pick up on this board is going to... er, what was I saying?

[Kalo]

Unfortunately, it's the useful information that I tend to filter out.

[alankin]

Do you recall having any lapses of memory?

[Guest]

Ah-HA! I just KNEW there was a scientific reason against Kenny G...