Assignment 3 [B]

Cognitive Tradeoff Hypothesis Definition:
Tetsuro Matsuzawa proposed that a trade-off between superior language facility at the expense of memory ability based on social life occurred during human evolution.

AKA, the short-term memory in humans is essentially useless compared to that of a chimp. However, our language and long-term memory development are much more effective and are among the main differences between a human brain and chimps.

Essentially our ability to tell stories/retell memories is what makes us human, which I think is beautiful.

I just found this a fascinating way to trace our memories and stories back to our own personal histories as well as familial ones.

*Not exactly material related, but I wanted a record of this finding.

Material Thread #1 Photography

Photographs are a way to preserve memories in a way that our brains simply are not capable of. Our minds alter little details of memories to fill in the gaps when it is needed. So, events might not have happened exactly how we think they did. Recently, it's been suggested that people who have access to a camera all the time (like a smartphone) are more likely to have difficulty recalling memories clearly.

Material Thread #2 Books/Journals/Paper/Letters

I love the idea of playing with journals/books and language as a way to recall memory. Personally, books and journals hold immense value...I don't think I've gone anywhere without a book in hand. Books are a great comfort for me, as is journaling, both reading and writing feel healing to me.

Material Thread #3 Sensory material

Although I love the idea of working with smell to evoke visceral feelings and memories I don't think it is feasible in this class... especially since we are online.

I could, however, still explore auditory senses. In my digital foundations class, we did a project where we essentially created soundscapes to evoke a specific feeling. And some other students works reminded me of my own memories just by using everyday sounds. It got me thinking that something like that might be perfect for my final project in this class.

This article talks about how having access to cameras 24/7 is making our memory worse because our brains now rely on digital documentation of events.

My soundscape from ARTE 106: for reference of something I might do.

But you know what, this technology isn't going away any time soon, so is it really so bad? I mean, sure, maybe my detailed recollection is worse, but thanks to technology, I have 'created' memories of my childhood that would not exist without the help of videos and photos. I think that's pretty cool.

Photographs are an important part of modern life and they helps us tell stories, which, as we know, is what makes us human.

It would be interesting to have friends and family send in photos of good memories which I then photoshop in some weird way. Removing or adding important details to see if the power of suggestion will convince them that it is the original photo.

Aka, digital photo collage (material)

As far as their connection to memory goes, these materials are similar to photography. They are a way that we document memories and stories. But unlike photography, reading and writing actually increase our memory abilities.

However, as far as a tangible project with these materials is concerned I don't yet have a clear trajectory.