Solving the Mystery of Memory

The word “memory” is derived from the ancient Greek myth of Mnemosyne, the mother of the Muses, who was “said to know everything, past, present, and future.” Memory is essential to our existence, and one of neuroscience’s primary missions is to understand how the brain processes memory and to improve treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, drug addiction, and the many other afflictions associated with disrupted memory. Our article traces scientists’ progress in understanding memory over the last 15 years.