Today, you’ll learn about why our ability to remember things seems to get worse with age—it’s not memory loss, which animals could become the new dominant species in the event of our extinction, and how an unsupportive romantic partner can actually affect the way you think and feel about yourself.
Today, you’ll learn about why our ability to remember things seems to get worse with age—it’s not memory loss, which animals could become the new dominant species in the event of our extinction, and how an unsupportive romantic partner can actually affect the way you think and feel about yourself.
Maybe your mom was right about cleaning your room.
The next era for animals.
Couples therapy may in fact help your brain.
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Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/a-clutterful-mind-heir-to-the-earth-partnership
TITLE:
A CLUTTERFUL MIND, HEIR TO THE EARTH, PARTNERSHIP PERILS
NATE: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery. Time flies when you’re learnin’ super cool stuff. I’m Nate.
CALLI: And I’m Calli. If you’re dropping in for the first time, welcome to Curiosity, where we aim to blow your mind by helping you to grow your mind. If you’re a loyal listener, welcome back!
NATE: Today, you’ll learn about why our ability to remember things seems to get worse with age—it’s not memory loss, which animals could become the new dominant species in the event of our extinction, and how an unsupportive romantic partner can actually affect the way you think and feel about yourself.
CALLI: Without further ado, let’s satisfy some curiosity!
[SFX: Whoosh]
CALLI: Nate are you daydreaming again?
NATE: No. I’m just trying to remember if I turned the light off before I left the house. Sorting through some brain clutter.
CALLI: Clutter?
NATE: Yeah! Obviously we all know memory declines as we age. But a new study showed that our memories might not actually be getting worse, just cluttered.
CALLI: Is it because the older we get the more memories we have?
NATE: That’s part of it. It’s harder to navigate when trying to access something specific. But it’s not just HOW MUCH information we gather, it’s also what information.
CALLI: Wait, what do you mean?
NATE: As we age we lose some of our ability to focus on specific, important details. And as a result, we end up storing too much information that doesn’t really matter.
CALLI: Like how I remember every single cast member of The Bachelorette?
NATE: All of them?
CALLI: Oh yeah. There’s Chad, Brad, Thad, another Chad...
NATE: Okay point proven.
CALLI: But even stil, our memories aren’t always exactly accurate, right?
NATE: Sure, maybe it was TWO Thads and only ONE Chad. That’s important to recognize, that we focus on a select few things that we deem relevant to the moment. And those are what get remembered.
CALLI: So, say you go swimming and you remember that the water was cold but you can’t recall the color of the pool tiles.
NATE: Right. Or you may remember the exact color of the tiles if they were a favorite color of yours or stood out to you for another reason. Or ... if you're me ... you’ll only remember desperately flailing because I don’t know how to swim.
CALLI: Also, I can’t imagine we have enough room to store all of the information we encounter in a given day.
NATE: Or even in a given moment most of the time. Plus, as we age, we have a growing number of similar experiences, so our minds create a kind of memory cycle ... the clutter increases the chance that some info will overlap between memories. And then that obviously leads to confusion, and it becomes very difficult to remember whatever it is you’re trying to remember.
CALLI: You know now that I think about it some of those Bachelorette contestants do start to blend together after a while...
NATE: Well, many of those guys have very similar characteristics. Meanwhile if people, or objects, or events are distinct from each other, then they become less likely to be confused with something else, and more memorable.
CALLI: That makes perfect sense. Like how if one guy’s name is Bartholemew, it’s easy to distinguish him from the various Chad-Brad-and-Thad Lads.
NATE: Poor Bartholomew didn’t have a chance.
CALLI: So how exactly did they come to this conclusion about the clutter?
NATE: One study showed the theory at work by mapping brain activity. The subjects were split into two groups - one older and one younger. Both groups were shown faces and scenes, and then told that they would be tested on only one of the two types of things, the other type being irrelevant. So that’s the set up. Then, it was time to test the brain activity. And, while being shown the irrelevant objects again, the older group’s brains showed higher activity.
CALLI: Oh wow. So they had a harder time ignoring information from the irrelevant group.
NATE: Yes! And going hand in hand with that - the more elevated their levels were for the irrelevant stuff, the worse their memory was for the important stuff.
CALLI: I really hope I don’t forget all of this later on. Please tell me there’s a silver lining to our memory getting worse. It’s not like we can do any spring cleaning in our brains.
NATE: We don’t really have any control over it, Cal. It’s just a natural part of aging.
CALLI: I can’t even remember to try and remember things!?
NATE: That made my head spin a little bit. But don’t worry - there is a benefit to this process.
CALLI: Okay good. This is definitely getting filed under important information in my memory.
NATE: Studies have also shown that older adults can have enhanced creativity because of their “enriched memories”.
CALLI: Picasso was pretty old in every picture I’ve seen of him.
NATE: It has more to do with problem solving. It’s like when you get an unusual problem that doesn’t have a straightforward fix. An older person might be able to determine a creative solution because they have more pieces of knowledge and memory available for them to connect together.
CALLI: My dad is always my first call when I have a problem I can’t solve.
NATE: And does he usually have a creative solution?
CALLI: Most of the time. Or he says to turn it off, wait ten seconds and turn it back on again.
NATE: Based on some of the TV you’ve been watching maybe you should leave it off…
[SFX: Whoosh]
CALLI: Nate, what's your favorite apocalypse movie?
NATE: I love The Day After Tomorrow, climate change, scary stuff.
CALLI: That one is too real for me. I much prefer the original Planet of the Apes.
NATE: Ooh, sure. It's fun to think about life after mankind.
CALLI: You’ll love this then! If humans went extinct, which animal would be most likely to replace us as Earth’s dominant species?
NATE: Hey, that's a cool thought experiment.
CALLI: Researchers have been looking into it, and while they don’t land on a single one - I mean, who could possibly say! - some of the strongest contenders will surprise you.
NATE: Okay, I wanna guess. What are the criteria?
CALLI: Animals only. So, no bacteria, despite how they’re basically everywhere. They’re thinking about which species would develop the highest intelligence, complex social structures, cities, clothing, cellphones, environmental manipulation, all that kind of stuff. These are the things they believe brought us dominance.
NATE: Right, so first up, I’ve gotta lean into intelligence.
CALLI: Absolutely.
NATE: How do we know which animals are the smartest? They haven’t been taking standardized tests we can check.
CALLI: Totally right. They’re talking about intelligence that increases reproduction and survival. Basic cognitive abilities. Everything flows from there.
NATE: So, this species, they’ll need to make tools, too, so they’ll need dexterity.
CALLI: Yes. Intelligence and dexterity combined have helped us make everything from forks to expansive cities.
NATE: So smarty pants that can grab stuff, got it. I mean the first thing that comes to mind is a primate of some sort, right?
CALLI: Totally. You have to think maybe a bonobo or chimpanzee would take over. They’re already our closest living relatives. They have opposable thumbs, they make tools in the wild, they have complex social structures.
NATE: Thought experiment over.
CALLI: Not so fast. Their similarities to us are also their biggest weakness. Whatever will kill us off is likely to kill them off soon after.
NATE: Wow, yeah. I never would’ve thought of that. Thank goodness for scientists. Okay, so more different than us. Primates are your kings of the land, so maybe next I’d look to the sky. Above the fray, not going to be hit as quickly by rising sea levels, et cetera. So, birds?
CALLI: Absolutely. I mean, birds are descendents of dinosaurs, they’re certified survivors. Plus they have a lot of the skills you’d need. Birds are not dumb.
NATE: Never said they were, Cal.
CALLI: Species like crows and ravens have intelligence that can rival chimps! And, they might not have hands, but they do have dextrous feet and beaks that they use to make tools. Some can craft bits of wire into rudimentary hooks. African Grey Parrots can learn up to a hundred words and do some simple math.
NATE: Wow. I can barely do simple math sometimes.
CALLI: As for social development, Sociable Weavers build communal nests that are used for decades, like a family estate.
NATE: Okay, so birds are a contender for sure. But, while we’re on social structure, we’ve gotta talk ants.
CALLI: Good guess! Ants and termites are big contentenders for just that reason: their social structures look a lot like ours, and they have specialized jobs to help the community move forward. They’ve also figured out how to move into almost any environment. They can fly, dig, climb, swim, and they build impressively large towers that look a lot like our cities.
NATE: I never thought about it like that, but it's true!
CALLI: They’re even known to farm fungi.
NATE: That’s very human behavior! Okay, so ants maybe. But, we haven’t even gotten to the sea yet. I mean, we came out of the water, why not the next dominant species? Any wet smarties out there?
CALLI: Well octopi would be the leading contenders. They’re intelligent and can manipulate things with their limbs. They can change their environment to suit their needs. I mean, an octopus will clean the algae out of its den and then cover the opening with a pile of shells. They also often live in communities.
NATE: Seems like a hot choice.
CALLI: Unfortunately, they’re unlikely to rise to the challenge. Researchers say they’ve done about as much as they can within their evolutionary limitations. - We use very efficient, iron-based blood to transport oxygen through our bodies, and they rely on less efficient, copper-based blood. As such, they’re bound to the more oxygen-rich water.
NATE: So that's it, then? It's a fight between the birds and the bees?
CALLI: Most likely. Of course, it’s impossible to say. One big mutation or an extinction event could throw the succession all out of whack.
NATE: I’m gonna guess ants, then, final answer.
CALLI: Why?
NATE: Because I felt smart when I brought them up. Also, I’m having a lot of fun imagining the movie Planet of the Ants.
[SFX: Whoosh]
NATE: Calli, how do you feel about mistakes?
CALLI: They’re crucial for learning! I love making mistakes, and you know from experience, that I support you and your mistakes Nate!
NATE: That’s because you’re a good friend, Carly!
CALLI: It’s Calli, Nate, but don’t worry about it.
NATE: I was testing you. I learned recently that having supportive people in your life is crucial for your well being, especially romantic partners. And I don’t just mean that in the grand sense. It’s now scientific fact.
CALLI: Really?
NATE: Researchers have found that having an unsupportive romantic partner can negatively affect how your brain processes your own mistakes, and even make you more averse to going after the things you want in your own life.
CALLI: Oh wow. That feels true. But, I’m so curious ... how do you study romance?
NATE: Great question. Well to start, of course they needed to find people in relationships. The study had 20 participants and their romantic partners. All the participants were in undergraduate psychology courses and had been in their relationships for about one-point-three years on average.
CALLI: (laughs) I’m not sure I’d want to study my college relationships.
NATE: Me neither! Especially knowing this next part. They had each of the partners independently complete psychological studies. Those studies included the Significant Others Scale and the Social Undermining Scale.
CALLI: Ooh, they’re trying to QUANTIFY if they’re in a bad relationship? That’d be easier than just asking.
NATE: Totally. Not going to get a lot of reliable answers that way, plus, it’s just awesome.
CALLI: So what do those scales measure?
NATE: The Significant Others Scale measures how much support each partner perceives from their partner, while the Social Undermining Scale measures perceived unsupportive behavior.
CALLI: What’s a perceived unsupportive behavior?
NATE: Things like criticism and insults. The participants returned two weeks later and did what's called the Eriksen Flanker Task, which tests your attention and control…
CALLI: Ah, so like a simple cognitive test?
NATE: Yep!
CALLI: Seems easy enough. But I don’t get how that helps you judge a relationship.
NATE: Well, they did it twice. Once by themselves, and a second time with their partner, sitting silently beside them, watching.
CALLI: Oooooh. Now I see. Also, that sounds like it could be stressful.
NATE: To see just how stressful it was, researchers measured the participants' brain responses as they completed the task. They looked especially closely at the pattern of brain activity known as error-related negativity, which happens when we make mistakes. It's kind of a measure of how much we think an error is threatening.
CALLI: So, it’s possible that a similar error would seem more threatening depending on whether the partner was there or not?
NATE: That’s what they wanted to see!
CALLI: And?
NATE: For those folks who perceived more unsupportive behavior from their partners ... if their partners were in the room with them, their error-related negativity went up!
CALLI: Oh wow.
NATE: With an unsupportive partner, you are harder on yourself about your own mistakes. Researchers think it might come from expecting your partner to also be highly critical of your mistakes, or from internalizing the self-criticism after hearing so much of it from you partner.
CALLI: Oh that's so sad. A bad relationship makes you even harder on yourself? Double whammy.
NATE: It gets worse. We know that people with overactive error monitoring systems in their brains...
CALLI: What was that?
NATE: People who are already highly self-critical. They’re more likely to avoid things than to feel motivated to do them. And folks who react strongly to mistakes learn to put energy into avoiding negative experiences rather than seeking out positive ones.
CALLI: Ah man. So, you can get kinda shut in, unable to find ways to feel better.
NATE: Yeah, we know that unsupportive romantic relationships are linked to anxiety, depression, and decreased goal attainment.
CALLI: Oh boy. Sometimes, you find yourself in a bad relationship without knowing how you got there. And then you’re in a feedback loop it sounds like. So, I’m trying to find some silver lining here. Seeking positivity. Was any of this because they were college students? I know, like a lot of us, I might have been more likely to buy into my partner’s thoughts about me when I was a bit younger.
NATE: Totally. Researchers say they still need to do a lot more research with a broader, larger, more diverse sample size, including some adults in long-term relationships to see if the findings can be applied more generally.
CALLI: Okay, that’s something. Any more good news, Nate? I mean, it’s good to know about these things, but like, good news, you know?
NATE: About this study, not really, but I will mention that we already know that there’s a positive feedback loop too. If you feel supported by your partner you have an increased ability to cope with stressors and things like anxiety, depression, and you can even think more positively of your own body image.
CALLI: So bad relationships can make things harder, but good relationships can make things easier?
NATE: It sure looks so.
CALLI: We are such social creatures. Fascinating. Well, I hope all of you out there are in beautiful supportive relationships then!
NATE: Or, of course, happy and content on your own!
CALLI: Yes, of course!
[SFX: Whoosh]
NATE: Let’s recap what we learned today to wrap up.
CALLI: New research suggests that our memories may not actually be getting worse as we age, but instead become “cluttered” with too many memories to sort. Even if this is the case, I will surely never forget who got the final rose in the season 5 finale of The Bachelorette. It was probably a Brad.
NATE: If humans disappeared from the face of the planet, a few species might be able to step in and fill our role. Regardless of where they come from, they’ll need intelligence, dexterity, and the ability to impact their environment, but not be too much like humans.
CALLI: New findings show that being in unsupportive relationships can ruin more than our mood. Researchers found that those with unsupportive partners are more likely to be harder on themselves and may even lessen your own ability to pursue your goals.