What am I talking about when I say portals to amnesia?
Doors.
I'M KIDDING.
Mostly.
Because guess what I just found out?
Walking through doors makes people forget things.
So, I was reading Scientific American, which is this really awesome science magazine on modern scientific discoveries and experiments.
All the articles are really cool, so I recommend subscribing!
Anyways, I was reading this article. And it was talking about doors. The opening example went something like this:
Basic Summary: You see your mug is empty, bring it to the counter, walk through a doorway to the kitchen, stand around confused, walk back, see your mug, scowl.
When I read this example, my reaction was: "I get what you're saying. But that's kind of a stretch - I'm more likely to just get distracted and pour myself some water then forget completely what I was doing and sit down with the mug in my hand."Except then I thought about it.
And I realized that that actually does happen a lot.
Not when I'm putting things away especially. But if I'm getting socks and go upstairs. I'll go in my room, see my book, pick it up, go downstairs, try to put on my shoes, and curse.
In fact, I have friend to which the following happens all the time:
She goes into that room.
She stands around mildly confused for about a second.
Decides it's not worth her attention.
Zones out.
And remembers some random thing she wants to do with pipe cleaners.
Then I was really confused. What did doors have to do with it? They're not especially distracting...
The article had descriptions of an experiment scientists had run. The scientists set up a computer game. In the game, you would pick up an object. The object would not be visible unless in use while you held it, as though in a little pocket.
You would pick up an object from a table, walk a certain distance, and be quizzed on the object.
Subjects having gone through doorways showed much more hesitance or would even forget.
They tried this on real subjects in actual environments too. Same results.
Why is this? It seems that when you leave a room, your brain minimizes whatever document you were working on and files it on hold while it opens a new one for the next room.
Apparently this is a method that works quite well dealing with though overload.
Except when it doesn't and you forget what you're doing.
My question is:
ARE DOORWAYS BEHIND MEMORY LOSS WITH OLD AGE?
Could the shutting of memory spaces accumulate? Are doors dooming us to a forgetful existence in a nursing home? Do the doors build up? Like radiation?
Can we prevent it?
Please leave your opinions and advice in the comments BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
Or, you can just walk through a door and forget this entire thing.
Not really. But still.
Sorry this post took me so long!
~Julia
P.S. Emma, I haven't forgotten about your number theory thing! I'm still trying to arrange it so it's interesting to everyone else reading this blog.
