Dear Dr. Universe, Is there any way to enhance one’s memory?
Think about this: Think about how much you think about all day
long, about how much you see, hear, smell, taste, feel. About
how much you have to REMEMBER. All day long your brain is going
like crazy. Your neurons (nerve cells) are constantly trading
information with other neurons, joining up with them to form
memories, on/off, hello/goodbye, information in/information out,
and on and on, ALL DAY LONG! Well, where does that leave your
brain at the end of the day? A real mess, that’s what! And
probably full of adenosine! Wait, what? The “currency” of energy
in your cells, including your neurons, is molecules called ATP,
or adenosine triphosphate. As the brain cells use that energy,
the ATP breaks down, leaving all this adenosine floating around
in your brain. Some scientists think that adenosine triggers
sleepiness. Well, let’s suppose it does. What could this tell us
about improving our memories? I went to talk to Gina Poe, who
also helped us unders