An Explanation of How Memories Form and How Henry Molaison Helped Science Understand Them

An episode of SciShow explains how memories are formed and how a man named Henry Molaison helped science understand them. Host Hank Green explains that Molaison had significant portions of his brain removed as a treatment for seizures. The result was that he developed anterograde amnesia and was unable to create new longterm memories.

Scientists continue to study Molaison’s brain which was preserved after his death in 2008, and this work has lead to a better understanding of how memories are formed in the brain.