S-29. Memory Mysteries

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Thank you for joining us for Spotlight. I'm Joshua Leo.

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And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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People call one man "the human camera." He sees a picture or thing once. Later, he draws it from memory. Almost every detail of his created picture is perfect.

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Another man can remember every word in an English dictionary. He can define every word in this huge word book.

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A woman can remember every detail of every day of her life. She has had this ability since she was eleven years old.

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How can these people remember all this information? These abilities are amazing. But what makes these people's memories so different? Would you want a memory like this? Today's Spotlight is on the mysteries of memory.

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Where do you live? Could you draw a picture of the place? Would you remember how many windows it had? Would you remember to draw the chair in the corner? Could you remember the small scratches or other damage on the chair? Well, one man could.

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Steven Wiltshire is from the United Kingdom. People call him "the human camera." Steven is an amazing artist. He does not use a camera to take a picture. Instead, he uses his memory.

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Steven is especially skilled at drawing buildings. He can draw an exact copy of any building, no matter how complex it is. And he only needs to see it once.

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A group of experts tested Steven's skills. They took Steven on a short helicopter ride over the city of London. After the ride the experts asked Steven to draw London. And he did! In three hours, Steven drew over ten square kilometres of the city of London. This included over two hundred different buildings.

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Kim Peek has similarly amazing abilities. He lives in the United States. Kim does not use his memory to draw. He uses it to store millions of facts. He has memorized over seven thousand books. He can remember what happened in each one.

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Any person can memorize a small amount of information. They learn it, and then they can remember it at any time. You have memorized where your house is. You have memorized the names of your parents, friends, and children. But it is almost impossible for a normal person to memorize a whole book.

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Kim has also memorized different facts about sports, music, history, literature, dates, numbers, maps, and more! Even as a very young child, Kim showed these abilities.

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Steven and Kim both have savant syndrome - they are savants. You may have heard a Spotlight program about savants before. Many of them have special skills. Savants can remember huge amounts of information about particular subjects. At the same time, they lack knowledge about other subjects. Many savants have some kind of damage to the left side of their brain. Some savants suffer developmental disabilities. And they usually do not have an easy time communicating with other people.

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Recently, memory experts have been interested in another person's amazing memory. AJ is only average at memorizing facts and lists. Instead, she remembers the details of everything she experiences. In fact, she can remember almost every detail of her life since she was eleven years old.

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Memory experts have studied AJ since the year 2000. They have tested her memory in many different ways. Some people claim to have abilities similar to AJ's. But, when they are tested, doctors find that these claims are false. Other people can have amazing memories. But they use special mind tricks. Or, they are savants, like Steven and Kim. But memory experts say that AJ is not a savant. And she does not use any special method to memorize her past.

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Doctors asked AJ questions about her past. They could say a date. For example, they could ask AJ what happened on April 13, 1987. AJ could remember what day of the week that was. She could remember details about the weather that day. She could remember making bread with her mother. But she could also remember important world events that may have happened on that day.

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Doctors also tested AJ's ability to memorize lists of objects, facts, or words. But AJ did not show the same ability to memorize these things. Her amazing memory only works for what she has experienced.

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AJ describes her memory like a film that is always playing. She says that her mind records her life like a film camera records a film. She says she stores the 'film' of her life like a book in a library. When she wants, she can find that day again in her mind. She can watch the film in her memory.

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For AJ, her memory is both a blessing and a problem. She tells about remembering the good times. She says these good memories help her. But she also remembers all the bad things she has experienced. She experiences the pain of every bad memory she has had again and again.

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What about you? Do you think a memory like AJ's would be a gift? Or do you think it would be a problem? You would remember all the good things. But you would also remember all the pain and sadness in your life. Would you want to know someone with a memory like this? They would remember all the bad things you may have done to them.

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Well, Christians believe that God does have a memory like this. God remembers everything we do - good or bad. Christians believe that the bad things we do, sins, hurt God. But they also believe that it is impossible to stop sinning. This can sound like really bad news! Every person, no matter who they are, has done terrible things.

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But there is good news. God has also made a promise to people. He says that if they believe in him, and ask for forgiveness, he will forget all of their sins! He promises to forgive us. The Bible says:

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"...You have loaded me down with your sins.
You have made me tired with the wrong things you have done.
I am the one who wipes out your sins.
I do it because of who I am.
I will not remember your sins anymore."
[Isaiah 43:24b-25]

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The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. Computer users can hear our programs, read our scripts and see our word list on our website at www.radio.english.net. This program is called "The Mysteries of Memory."

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You can email us comments and questions at Radio @ English . net. Please join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!