We made this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.
Our memories aren’t perfect records of the past — they’re reconstructions shaped by brain activity. Neuroscientists Lisa Genova and André Fenton explain that a memory is created through neural patterns that can subtly shift each time we recall it. We may unknowingly add or lose details over time. Understanding this science helps us approach memory with more humility and empathy, and deepens our insight into how memories shape one’s identity and beliefs.
About André Fenton:
André Fenton, PhD, is a neuroscientist and professor at NYU’s Center for Neural Science. He co-discovered PKMzeta, a key molecule for long-term memory, and studies how the brain stores and retrieves information. His work explores cognition, mental illness, and memory disorders. Fenton also founded Bio‑Signal Group, which created an FDA-approved portable EEG.
About Lisa Genova:
Lisa Genova, PhD, is a neuroscientist and bestselling author with a Ph.D. from Harvard. Her debut novel, Still Alice, explored early-onset Alzheimer’s and became an Oscar-winning film. Through novels like Left Neglected and Inside the O’Briens, she blends neuroscience and storytelling to humanize brain disorders.