Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Perfect Memory

Can you get a photographic memory?

People born with true eidetic (photographic) memory are rare. Some autistic people have skills that lead them to develop a photographic memory, says Dr Pamela Heaton of Goldsmiths' College.

A study of London cab drivers found that their brains changed over time in order to retain their encyclopaedic knowledge of the city's streets. There are no exercises that will improve your memory overall, says psychologist Dr Marie Poirier of City University London, but if you put in the time, you can stimulate parts of it.

''For example, get a friend to show you objects on a tray for three minutes, then cover them. Try to recall what they all were.''

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