Memory and the Human Lifespan

Name: Memory and the Human Lifespan
Released: 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z

TV Show · Special Interest

Embark on a startling voyage into the human mind and discover how the various aspects of your memory operate and the impact memory has on your daily experience of life with Memory and the Human Lifespan. Professor Steve Joordens's 24 riveting lectures carefully explain the different systems that make memory possible, how these systems change over time, how they can fail, and so much more.

2026 · 30m

EPISODE 1

Memory Is a Party

Using the metaphor of a party whose "guests" include the different components of the complex interactions that make up memory, Professor Joordens introduces you to several kinds of memory-including episodic, semantic, and procedural-to arrive at an initial understanding of the variety of processes at work in human "memory."
EPISODE 2

The Ancient "Art of Memory"

Techniques to embed and retrieve memories more easily-so-called mnemonic strategies-date back at least to classical Greece. See how one such technique-the Method of Loci-can help improve the episodic memory you depend on to recall a group of items such as grocery or to-do lists.
EPISODE 3

Rote Memorization and a Science of Forgetting

Is a mnemonic strategy always the most useful? Examine rote memorization and how it differs from mnemonics. Also, get an introduction to the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus, whose 19th-century experiments in remembering and forgetting marked the first scientific examination of memory.
EPISODE 4

Sensory Memory-Brief Traces of the Past

Begin a deeper discussion of the different kinds of memory, beginning with sensory memory and how its brief retentive power lets you switch from one stimulus to another-and even gives you your sense of "the present moment." Here, the focus is on iconic (or visual) memory and its auditory counterpart, echoic memory.
EPISODE 5

The Conveyor Belt of Working Memory

Plunge into the mental processes that allow you to work with information, often with the goal of solving a problem. You learn that these processes can also be used to keep information briefly "in mind," though they require effort and are prone to interference.
EPISODE 6

Encoding-Our Gateway into Long-Term Memory

How does information make its way from your temporary working memory into long-term memory so you can access it again when you need it? This introduction to encoding explains the process and offers useful tips for improving your own recall.