Why We Forget And How to Remember More
Hello, Curious Minds!
This week's podcast is a blast, and while I'm slightly worried by my co-host's diet it was a great discussion - as ever, you can find the link to the podcast below.
The paper this week is a fascinating study by Nelson Cowan and colleagues, which dives into the intricate relationship between attention and memory. We often think of attention as simply "paying focus," but this research shows that how we focus directly shapes what we remember -and what we forget.
Below, I break down the study’s key insights and what they mean for how we learn and retain information.
How Attention Shapes Memory
Attention and memory are deeply intertwined. The study identifies two critical ways attention impacts memory:
🔹 Working Memory – The short-term mental storage that helps us hold and process information. Without attention, it fades fast.
🔹 Long-Term Memory – The brain’s permanent storage - but attention plays a role in what gets stored and what gets forgotten.
The researchers argue that memory is like a spotlight - what we focus on gets encoded, and everything else disappears into the background. But here’s where it gets interesting:
Attention and memory work in a cycle. Not only does attention determine what we remember, but our past memories influence what we pay attention to.
I actually disagree with the authors on their interchangeable use of Working and Short-Term memory. I believe that short-term memory is the holding of information, but working memory is the application of that memory - to me, these are two distinct differences. What do you think?
Why Do We Forget? Enter the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve
With thanks to Wikimedia Commons.
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve shows that we forget most new information within hours or days unless we actively reinforce it. Without deliberate attention and repetition, memories quickly fade.
The study supports this, showing that working memory needs frequent reinforcement to transfer information into long-term storage. This is why spaced repetition, active recall, and strategic attention techniques can significantly improve learning.
How to Improve Attention & Memory
🧠 Use Active Recall – Instead of passively rereading, test yourself on key information.
⏳ Space Out Learning – Reviewing over time strengthens retention.
🎯 Minimise Distractions – Multitasking splits attention, making memory encoding weaker.
💡 Make It Meaningful – We remember ideas that connect to what we already know.
The study suggests that if we want to remember more, we need to be intentional about how we direct our attention.
Listen to the Discussion on the Podcast
🎙️ Apple Podcast: [Insert link]
🎙️ Spotify: [Insert link]
Franck’s Five:
Before we go, here are five questions to enable us all to curiously explore this week's theme of thinking about memory & attention:
1️⃣How intentional are you in directing your attention toward what you want to remember, and what distractions might dilute your mental "focus of attention"?
2️⃣ When learning something new, do you consciously create meaningful connections between ideas or rely on passive exposure to information?
3️⃣ What environmental changes could help you maintain high alertness, rather than slipping into mind wandering?
4️⃣ What small shifts could make to ensure your learning becomes more deliberate and lasting?
5️⃣ Reflecting on your personal growth, how has your ability to focus and strategically allocate attention evolved – and how might this evolution shape your next phase of learning or leadership?
We don’t just forget because our brains are faulty - we forget because attention and memory are deeply linked. Understanding this can help us learn better, work smarter, and retain more of what truly matters.
What’s your experience with attention and memory? Do you use strategies like active recall or spaced repetition? Which ones work and which ones don't? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time, keep curious, keep exploring.
~ Franck
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