1. Giraffes 2024

  Image credit In The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab , twenty-three-year-old Addie LaRue desperately begs a god for freedom in order to escape an arranged marriage, but she doesn’t realize that she has asked the wrong god to fulfill her desire. Instead of receiving a blessing—freedom from her marriage—she is given a curse: Addie will be freed from people’s memory, including her family and hometown. Another caveat is that Addie can’t write anything, including her name, or even say her name. With no connections to the past and no way to form connections, reasons the Devil-like god, Addie has no bonds restraining her in life; in short, she is free. The only person who ever remembers her is the god who cursed her, later named Luc. For the next three hundred years of her life, Addie spends her time living and reliving conversations, interactions, and three hundred years of European—and eventually American—history from 1714 to 2014. Every time she interacts with someone, t...

Mahesh - Week 15: Periodic Memory      The whooshing wind above the coconut trees brought me back to consciousness after my ten-minute doze in the dappled light on the ground. Thinking about my worries fading away is always possible with a trip to Kerala, my mom’s home state in India. I usually only visit Tamil Nadu on my vacations to India. Even now, thinking about my experiences in Kerala seems like a far-off memory from a different era.      The last time I went to the state was in third grade when my brother was just a toddler. When I try to remember the trip, all I can recall are the cruise ships and boat tours I did along winding rivers, rather than remembering the familial personalized interactions that I developed during the trip. Learning a side of my culture that I do not frequent revealed to me the large pillars with elephants carved within them in the majestic temples of Kerala. They seemed to be an architectural wonder—engulfing me in the myste...

       Honestly when it comes to nostalgia I can think of hundreds of things that give me it. Revisiting my old house in Sunnyvale, Creating my first Minecraft World, or even my first day of high school. The idea of experiencing something for the first time  is always fun and will always be a large part of anyone's lives.  According to the Washington post, “Psychologists are finding that nostalgia is not only universal, but also associated with better mental well-being.” However the more I thought about it the more I realized that it was never about the actual event that creates nostalgia, it is the point of life that you were in that made that moment special.      When I made my first world, I was at a point where I had a carefree life and the only thing that I had to worry about was if I was going to the park that day. The time where my grades never mattered. People get nostalgia because they want something from the past they can’t have now...

 In the intricate realm of memory, the human brain mirrors the function of memory in a computer, albeit with its unique complexities and nuances, understanding these parallels sheds light on the mechanisms of memory but also offers insights into how we perceive, retain, and recall information. For example at the core of both systems, lies the concept of encoding and memory retention. Just as a computer encodes data into binary form, the binary converts it into neural signals, which are then stored as memories. This encoding process involves the activation of specific neural pathways, akin to writing data to memory modules in a computer system.  In terms of memory duration, humans possess both short-term and long-term memory systems, analogous to a computers ram and hard drive, respectively. Short term memory serves a temporary works space holding for immediate use such like RAM. Conversely, long-term memory stores information for extended amounts of times, like a SSD or a hard...

Bharatanatyam, one of the oldest Indian classical dance forms, dates back to 300 BCE, and is continued in the present day. This art form incorporates multiple different elements, from the intricate footwork, hand gestures, and the various expressions. It amazes me that all the complexities and nuances of Bharatanatyam have been preserved through all these years, and are still performed with the same passion as when it was first created.  Last Sunday on April 21, 2024, I completed my Bharatanatyam arangetram. This is essentially a graduation for dancers once they have mastered the basics of the dance form. Being on stage was invigorating. The lights flashing on my face, having the whole stage to myself, and the nonstop claps from the audience. However, none of these external factors exceeded my internal thoughts.  While performing, I realized the sheer importance of Bharatanatyam. It holds so many memories, stories, and creative ideas. There are multiple stories that are depict...

            I think everyone has heard that “Inside Out 2” will be coming out soon. This got me thinking about my core memories and those 5 islands.The goofball, friendship, hockey, honesty, and family. For today’s blog, I would like to write about the family island. My family is the most important thing for me. I would do anything for them and I love them unconditionally. I am thankful for my parents, and I don’t know what I would do without them. My siblings though, I love my siblings so much. Recently it had hit me, that I would only spend a few more years with them together. Next year when I graduate, this year when my sister graduates, I won’t be with my family anymore. My older sister who has been there since birth, and my little brother who I’ve known since birth. In just a few years, we’ll all go in our own direction. In a few years, I won’t be living under the same roof as my siblings. Although a few years seems like a long time, I just know t...

  Memory plays a very significant role in cooking and food. For many people, the smell of their grandmothers, or their mom’s traditional cultural food things many memories to mind. These people have a very nostalgic sense of happiness associated with certain food or dish. It’s interesting to identify which foods and which smells are particularly memorable for different people because of how a person’s childhood has shaped them.   In order to truly immerse in your cultural food, it is important to trace back the recipes that came from your grandparents and your great grandparents. This often requires people to have great memory and cooking skills because they have to remember exactly how much of each ingredient to use and how to incorporate them. Because there was not as much technology in the past as there is right now, many elders have an excellent memory and are very good at cooking. This is why many people tend to say that they enjoy eating their parents food or their grand...

There are many ways and reasons why people can lose their memories. The one I am familiar with is Parkinson's disease which is a chronic brain disorder that can cause memory loss - a lesser known symptom.  My great-grandmother - who I was about to be named after - died of Parkinson's a year before I was born. My grandmother tells me about her all the time, weaving stories about how beautiful, kind, and generous she was.  My mom tells me a different story. She tells me about seeing my great-grandmother for the first time after a year during her brother's wedding.  When she saw her grandmother and sat down next to her she asked, "how are you?", knowing she'd been sick, to which her grandmother replied, "Who are you?"  My mother tells me about her shock and then her hurt as she watched her own grandmother's face twist in confusion as she struggled to recognize her granddaughter. All the memories, all the summers spent running across the front yard, ...

Technology has a deep and wide-ranging impact on learning. The array of tools and resources available for language study such as Duolingo or SpanishDict has grown dramatically as we go through the digital era. The technique has undergone a revolution thanks to platforms which offer interactive exercises, spaced repetition algorithms, and instant feedback. With a few clicks on a computer or a few taps on a smartphone, students can enter a virtual language learning environment where the pace and style of the sessions are customized for them. However, distractions are everywhere, which makes a daunting task amidst the sea of digital resources challenging. The modern environment of information overload makes it difficult to stay focused on learning a new language. Distractions such as email alerts, social media notifications, and a never-ending supply of online content compete for our focus. The very tools meant to make learning easier turn into sources of distraction. The consequences of ...

  Have you ever looked back on all your memories, from the small ones to your core memories? Have you ever wondered, what if this never happened? Or what if this had happened differently, what if I never said or did this? Well I do, most of my what-if thoughts usually occur when I regret doing something. Whenever it is something positive, it usually goes like, what if I had never planned or talked to them? I feel like memories make up who we are. The events that happen in our lives are what shape us. However, it is only the events that we remember. For example, if we learned something but completely forgot about it a day later. We won’t apply that lesson to our daily lives. This means, that those memories, those events that you remember, and have what-if questions on. Those are the memories that makeup who you are.  I like to think that the most important memories that have the biggest positive what-ifs, as my core memories. If I had never planned that huge mall trip with all ...

Alida Nugent wrote "You still crave summer, but sometimes you mean summer five years ago"  When I first read the quote online in middle school I brushed past it and forgot about it because the words didn't mean anything to me then, but a couple weeks ago in my endless scrolling, I found it again. Or rather, it found me again. This time when I read it I understood exactly what Nugent meant when she wrote that. With college applications, acceptances, and rejections floating around in everyone's minds, as their favorite seniors are either mourning or rejoicing, it seems inevitable that as juniors we can't help, but think about it too and feel anxious about our own futures. Recently my feelings of nostalgia have been amplified as I start seriously thinking about where I'll be next year in August and what I'll be doing. It also leads to a great deal of anxiety as I think about how we got here so fast. It feels like we blinked and suddenly we're no longer 10...

  There have been countless nights where I have laid on my bed, unable to sleep, simply reflecting on my life. Unfortunately, at this time, I find myself hyper-fixating on the negative aspects. With the time and peace to think, all of the embarrassing moments of my life come rushing back, making me long to forget these mortifying moments.  What is it that pulls these cringe-worthy parts of one’s life into one’s consciousness just as an individual is trying to sleep? According to Daley, there are millions of neurons in our brain that connect to overlap information. Memories in similar settings, such as those at school may be grouped. Moments that elicit similar feelings, such as anxiety can also automatically group in one’s brain. When an external stimulus or thought triggers one memory, all of the memories grouped into that specific category also enter one’s consciousness.  The other day, my family and I went to the beach and had a truly refreshing day. Although it was co...

Mahesh - Week 14: Is memory destroying classical chess? Everyone’s favorite game of chess is known for its strategy and an extraordinary stereotype of housing the most brilliant of minds. However, the element of preparation has brought the chess community into disarray. Magnus Carlsen and Robert Fischer—two past world chess champions—have expressed their disdain for the engine preparation that is encouraged by classical chess tournaments, which Magnus grew tired of to the point where he quit defending the classical world champion title. Engine preparation would include analyzing various openings and memorizing the sequences and ideas of the positions before a tournament game. This type of pregame activity is present at the elite level of the game; but, I have encountered varying degrees of preparation from my opponents when I was obsessed with tournament chess. For the past year, my brother has been a constant presence at Bay Area Chess organized tournaments, climbing up the rating lad...

Image credit In 1944, George Cukor’s Gaslight was a blockbuster movie—it won six Academy Awards and had seven nominations in 1945. Based on a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton , this movie is about a woman named Paula and her husband Gregory . At a young age, she saw her aunt get murdered in front of her at their home in London. After her marriage to Gregory, they move back to the very same home, and her husband is obsessively interested in this house for reasons unknown. When they move in, Gregory starts dimming the gas lights in their house without telling Paula; when she notices this, he insists that everything is the same and that she is imagining things. He eventually confines her to the house, telling their friends and neighbors that she is unwell.   Paula questions her sanity as she remains locked up in the house, with Gregory attributing the seemingly dim gas lights in their home to her mental illness. In short, the movie is centered around Gregory’s deception, which he does...

When computers and companies save your data and your passwords, their systems memorize information about you. This automatic process causes companies to gain access to important information about the consumers. Although the companies have been authorized to save customers’ information, many people are often not aware of where their information goes. Significant details such as one’s birth date, email address, and residential information is often stored on these websites. If a consumer is forced to share their private information, they should be aware of the company’s privacy protections and data policies. Sometimes, the company may get hacked and lose control of the data in their databases. When this occurs, it is crucial for consumers to change their passwords and reach out with the company to figure out what actions they can take to prevent further damage.   When a customer shares their data with the company, they are giving the company power over their personal information. An a...