Sony PicturesScientists are now able to hack into your memories, edit, remove and even implant new ones, apparently.
So whether you want to forget making a show of yourself when pissed, remove a phobia, or move on from a particularly painful relationship, the answer may well be within reach.
A new documentary series, Memory Hackers, from PBS has sought to highlight how modern technology makes this possible, and how it can be used to benefit mankind.
The Telegraph has reported the documentary makers as saying:
For much of human history, memory has been seen as a tape recorder that faithfully registers information and replays it intact.
But now, researchers are discovering that memory is far more malleable, always being written and rewritten, not just by us but by others. We are discovering the precise mechanisms that can explain and even control our memories.
The show also includes an interview from Julia Shaw, a psychology professor at London South Bank University, who claims she has successfully convinced subjects they committed crimes that never took place.
I was thrilled to be part of the #MemoryHackers @Nova documentary. Here a behind the scenes panel event we did! pic.twitter.com/dnvxDotkph
— Dr Julia Shaw (@drjuliashaw) February 11, 2016
Shaw’s work shows some of the potential ethical complications for memory manipulation, particularly in reference to crime.
Theoretically, it would be possible to implant memories of real or fake crimes, to which someone who wasn’t involved could become convinced they were central to events.
Exciting and petrifying – so don’t forget your totem.
