Watch a USA Memory Champion answer questions about memory

How dreams affect your memory

In 1999, scientists conducted a study in which participants were asked to recall images flashed before them for milliseconds. They found that participants who slept before recalling the information performed better than those who had been asked to recall the same information that same day. This was some of the earliest convincing evidence of how crucial sleep is for learning and memory, findings that current research continues to strengthen.

How to remember names

Journalist Lisa Kanarek sought to become a “super-recognizer,” someone with exceptional face recognition abilities who never forgot a name. She enlisted the help of a neurosurgeon and a world record holder in memory. The experts suggested a few tips and tricks to connect names and faces and erase the need to say, "Hey, you!" again.

A sleep expert discusses the broad benefits of quality rest

In this three-part series, renowned sleep expert Matthew Walker and doctor Peter Attia explore the role of sleep in memory consolidation and mental health, and the detrimental effects of chronic lack of sleep. The latter has been linked to increased risk of dementia, hypertension, and more.

Learn the differences between mild cognitive impairment and age-associated memory loss

Mild cognitive impairment is a condition in which people experience more thinking and memory problems than expected for their age. It's often associated with depression and anxiety. Daily routines, writing things down, and healthy lifestyle choices can help cope with the condition, but there's no cure. The condition elevates the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's.

ADHD impairs working memory and limits the ability to form long-term memories

While ADHD is most often recognized for producing struggles with attention and organization, these executive functions are critical for capturing the data that creates memories in the brain. Breaking data into pieces, or chunking, helps address these struggles.

Photographic memory isn’t real, but other rare memory types do exist

While 2% of children can recall sensory experiences with extreme detail (eidetic memory) and some adults can remember life events or dates with high accuracy (hyperthymesia), there is no scientific evidence for the flawless recall popularized in fiction. Most memory feats instead rely on training and memorization techniques.

Researchers use the brain's ability to edit memories to explore memory deletion

Scientists have successfully implanted false memories in mice after studying how the editing process works in the brain. Beyond potentially deleting memories in those with PTSD, upcoming research may allow clinicians to forecast the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

Olympians view sleep as a performance tool, prioritizing routine and environment

Elite athletes emphasize consistent sleep routines, dark and cool environments, the well-placed nap, and tools like eye masks, white noise machines, and supplements like melatonin (particularly for jet lag). This priority belies a core principle: recovery and performance are inseparable. Read more ways Olympians "sleepmaxx" here.

Watch Mike Wallace's fascinating interview with Salvador Dalí

In 1958, Salvador Dalí spoke in a TV interview with legendary journalist Mike Wallace about genius, the subconscious, weakness, old age, luxury, religion, and dreams, among a range of other topics. During this candid conversation, Dalí challenged American audiences to consider death and mortality. Watch the discussion here.

What it feels like to live with dementia

This nine-minute short film attempts to answer what it feels like to fade into dementia, as memory, motor skills, and cognition steadily decline. This award-winning short film follows Jos, a married father who worked in hospitality, as he sinks into ,"what feels like a single day. Or is it years?"

'There cannot be mental atrophy in any person who continues to observe, to remember what he observes, and to seek answers for his unceasing hows and whys about things.'

-Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Nostalgia is a psychological coping mechanism created from bias

Memories are naturally reconstructed during recall, and research has shown a fading effect bias that causes negative ones to fade more quickly, helping us heal. This creates a natural longing for the past, particularly when faced with loneliness, boredom, or challenging moments in the present.

Test your knowledge of famous death days

Of the thousands of celebrities whose name you know, how many can you remember the year they died? This simple game tests your knowledge of celebrity death days. An exact match gets you 1,000 points, and if you select within 15 years of the right year you get some points. Go see how much you remember here.

Play food science trivia along with a former state trivia champion

From limitations in panda taste receptors and a surprising food that has been forged into diamonds to the origins of chili pepper heat and the Maillard reaction, test your knowledge during a game of Super Food Science Excellence Trivia Blowout.

See how computer memory really works—from binary bits to modern RAM

The video explains how computers store information as 1s and 0s, how RAM functions as fast working memory, and why systems utilize different types of storage. The video demonstrates how this process enables computers to operate.

Watch a pyrotechnician answer questions about fireworks

Professional pyrotechnician Patrick Cyrana answers the internet’s most curious questions about fireworks, from designing ghost effects and exploring how electronic firing systems work to explaining what it takes to create displays in the rain.

'The Father of Positive Psychology' gives tips on building resilience

People differ in how they respond to setbacks. Famed psychologist Martin Seligman outlines three key pillars for resilience: developing mental toughness by interpreting failures as external and temporary, recognizing and using one’s signature strengths, and cultivating strong relationships that offer support and meaning.

Reflections on lesser-known objects at the Met

Nate DiMeo’s podcast The Memory Palace tells the stories hidden beneath the surface of familiar people and places. In 2016, he was named the Met’s Artist in Residence. While there, he produced eight episodes about the museum, exploring its lesser-known objects and lore. Check out the first of the series here.

Offering support to others linked to cognitive and physical health improvements

The Baltimore Experience Corps Trial, which was a large study evaluating the health benefits of volunteering among older adults, concluded that seniors spending about 15 hours weekly offering kids tutoring and mentoring was associated with improvements including better memory and increased mobility and strength.

How does the cocktail party effect work?

In the 1950s, British cognitive scientist Colin Cherry started to explore how we could focus our hearing on one single source, even in a noisy environment. This video animation explains the phenomenon known as the cocktail effect and how selective hearing works. Discover how our brain is on the lookout for important or personally relevant information, even as we are occupied in other discussions.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

An interesting perspective on whether (and how) brain size matters in cognitive ability

Some brains are bigger than others, but what is the relevance, if any, to brain size and intelligence? This Scientific American article explores the question and offers examples. It also visually compares frontal slices of several mammals' brains, showing that humans don't necessarily have the biggest cerebrums on the block.

Explore 'The Presidents' collection

PBS's "The Presidents" collection profiles America's leaders through award-winning documentaries, interviews, and archival footage. The series captures how each president reflected the nation's values, crises, and culture while shaping the office's power and legacy.

Relive Bobby Fischer’s Cold War victory with 'Drunk History'

Comedy Central’s "Drunk History" retells Bobby Fischer’s 1972 win over Boris Spassky with irreverent humor. The sketch hilariously highlights how a chess match became a Cold War spectacle, turning Fischer into an unlikely American celebrity.

The American 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' redefined the quiz show

The show was already a success in the United Kingdom when it was adapted for the US to boost ratings during 1999’s “sweeps week,” a pivotal time for television ratings. The show worked, thanks to a charismatic host in Regis Philbin and the high stakes of a big cash prize. That combination would be replicated with great success in reality competition shows, such as “American Idol,” which would follow.

Experience games that explore Nobel Prize-winning work

Inspired by the educators who set laureates on their path, the Nobel Foundation has created a library of interactive activities for the general public. These allow users to make groundbreaking discoveries, showing that such work is accessible to all.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Search a massive database of over 4 decades of clues from the TV quiz show 'Jeopardy!'

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

The US first hosted the World Cup in 1994, a tournament that lives in soccer infamy for its poor planning and the murder of Colombian player Andres Escobar, who'd accidentally scored on his own net.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.

See the most iconic photos from four decades of LIFE magazine

The story of Dollree Mapp, whose legal challenge over her 1957 conviction for possessing "obscene material" led to a major strengthening of the Fourth Amendment

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

In preparation for this weekend's Eurovision finale, which is something like the World Cup of pop music, here's a young Céline Dion performing (for Switzerland?) at the 1988 competition.

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Learn how monoclonal antibodies, which mimic the body's antibodies, can fight diseases like Ebola.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

A pickleball's loud 'pop' sound can reach 120 decibels, which is equivalent to a hammer hitting a nail

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.

In 1945, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and legendary animator Walt Disney began collaborating on a short film that was not completed until 2003, years after both men had died.

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.