Surprising truths about memory with Dr. Ranganath
Nudge10 Mar 2025

Surprising truths about memory with Dr. Ranganath

I explore the surprising science of memory with Dr. Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember. Today, Dr. Ranganath reveals why forgetting isn’t a flaw but a feature of our brains and how simple strategies can dramatically improve recall. You’ll learn: Why forgetting is normal (feat. Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve). How multitasking physically changes your brain and worsens memory. Why filming concerts on your phone makes the experience less memorable. Proven techniques from memory athletes to help you remember more. ---- Sign up to my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ Charan’s book Why We Remember: https://charanranganath.com/ ---- Sources: Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Über das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. ESPN. (2018). LeBron James recalling play with photographic memory [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHAsh-i6WQ Miller, G. A. (1956). The magic number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81–97. Ranganath, C. (2024). Why we remember: Unlocking memory’s power to hold on to what matters. Doubleday. Tulving, E., & Schacter, D. L. (1990). Priming and human memory systems. Science, 247(4940), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2296719 White, R. (2018). How to memorize a deck of cards (fastest way taught by memory champion) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/yevxvTbUa4s?si=x447uhmpm9-z--SD

Episoder(284)

‘New Coke’ and the marketing blunder of the century

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How your brain can reveal what you buy

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4 Aug 202531min

How this indie movie used psychology to beat Hollywood

How this indie movie used psychology to beat Hollywood

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Why naming a dish “field-grown” doubled sales

Why naming a dish “field-grown” doubled sales

How would you encourage sustainable behaviour?  You might assume logical messages work best.  Stuff like “the average three-hour flight creates ~250–400 kg of CO₂”.  But today’s guest on Nudge has ...

21 Jul 202526min

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14 Jul 202521min

This single text made girls 45% more likely to get vaccinated

This single text made girls 45% more likely to get vaccinated

Can one text message save 100s of girls from cervical cancer? Today on Nudge, Niall Daly and Dr Giulia Tagliaferri discuss their county-wide study involving 55,000 girls. Their experiment had some eye...

7 Jul 202522min

A surprisingly effective way to persuade (almost) anyone

A surprisingly effective way to persuade (almost) anyone

It’s a psychological principle that helped end South African apartheid.  It reversed the Pope’s declining popularity.  It reduced university students’ binge drinking by 30%.  And can predict romant...

30 Jun 202525min

I debunked psychology’s greatest myth

I debunked psychology’s greatest myth

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23 Jun 202525min

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