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Science & Technology |
MEMORY HOLE: U.S. scientists have developed a 'memory wipe' enzyme that can erase memories forever |
2017-06-07 |
Are there any bad memories in your life that you wish you could simply erase? Yeah, I've got a few. I'd like a quart, please. Researchers might have found a way to do exactly that thanks to the discovery of the enzyme in the brain that plays a pivotal role in storing long-term memories. They believe that this enzyme could be targeted in order to essentially wipe distressing memories out of the minds of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, like many things that sound too good to be true, this development is raising red flags left and right. Scientists have long known that creating new memories and storing old ones involve the creation of proteins in the synapse, where two brain cells meet. For this process to be successful, genes must be expressed in the nucleus of the cell, and this is where a key enzyme can turn genes on or off as new memories are formed. It’s also believed that this enzyme, which is known as ACSS2, plays a role in the memory impairment that is seen in neurodegenerative disorders. |
Posted by:Anomalous Sources |
#10 Propofol does this. "Milk of Amnesia" they call it. |
Posted by: Injun Bucket8891 2017-06-07 23:44 |
#9 Soon available for those served with Grand Jury and Congressional subpenas. The |
Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-06-07 18:49 |
#8 The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |
Posted by: JHH 2017-06-07 15:11 |
#7 Now everybody can become a democrat! |
Posted by: newc 2017-06-07 15:03 |
#6 Now John Fing Kerry can have his memory unseared. I suggest a full wipe just be sure. Reprogram him with Jerry Lewis movies and send him to France. |
Posted by: Silentbrick 2017-06-07 11:19 |
#5 Is it in Newcastle Brown Ale? |
Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2017-06-07 11:04 |
#4 If it could do it selectively I would love it |
Posted by: BernardZ 2017-06-07 08:39 |
#3 Oxycontins and benzodiazepams also have similar effects on memory over time. Some anesthetics used in surgery also erase memories of surgery. Erasing memory is a 2-edged sword. |
Posted by: JohnQC 2017-06-07 08:21 |
#2 How would we know if this was the first time it was discovered? |
Posted by: Chesney Wittlesbach8478 2017-06-07 07:23 |
#1 Definitely one of those "you go first" breakthroughs. |
Posted by: PBMcL 2017-06-07 01:06 |