'Stealing The Past': A Spat Between Twins Leads To A Theory Of Disputed Memories

Short Wave

NPR

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4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2024

⏱️ 16 minutes

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Summary

It's not unusual for siblings to quibble over ownership of something — a cherished toy, a coveted seat in the car — or whose fault something is. If you're Mercedes Sheen, you not only spent your childhood squabbling with your sister over your memories, you then turn it into your research career. Mercedes studies disputed memories, where it's unclear who an event happened to. It turns out these memories can tell us a lot about people — they tend to be self-aggrandizing — and how the human brain remembers things.

Check out more of NPR's series on the Science of Siblings.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In this country, some truths aren't self-evident. In NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths,
0:07.2	a collection of stories as wide-ranging and real as the people who tell them,
0:12.0	we celebrate the Black experience for all its soul and
0:16.1	richness. Search NPR, Black Stories, Black Truths, wherever you get podcasts.
0:27.0	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. Hey Short Waivers, Emily Kwong here and riding shotgun with me today is our old pal and former shortwave editor Gabriel Spitzer.
0:36.7	Gabe welcome back.
0:38.1	Thanks Emily I am happy to be back.
0:40.5	All right well Gabriel what is the news today?
0:43.7	What do you got for us?
0:44.7	Well, I and all of my colleagues on the science desk have been working on stories about
0:48.8	the science of siblings.
0:50.2	So what I'm bringing you today has to do with siblings and how they remember the old days.
0:55.1	You know what I mean?
0:56.1	You have a sister, right?
0:57.7	I do.
0:58.7	Yes, I call her my best friend.
1:01.3	And she used to call me enemy, oddly.
1:05.0	She couldn't pronounce my name.
1:07.0	Enemy instead of Emily.
1:08.0	Funny how Emily became enemy, huh?
1:10.0	What's her name?
1:11.0	Amanda.
	...

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