Memory and Games

Some rambling things I was thinking about, specifically related to memory and 999.

I think I'll remember 999 very well, despite the vaguely generic Anime Murder plot and stylings. Part of the reason I'll remember it is that I ended up doing a lot of math. I'll always remember that Lotus is 8 and Clover is 4, and those hooks help me to remember their personalities, traits, and eventual fates as well. This is very interesting to me - why would doing a bunch of math help me to remember that Snake lost his arm in a car accident and is a great detective?

I think that memory is very strange.  Long-term memories slowly get eroded, but at different rates depending on a number of factors. The feeling for me is this: short term memory is is like a scaffold for a building. The more detailed and engaging the memory, the better the construction will be. As time passes, the scaffold is taken down, and long term memory is the building itself. What remains can be shoddy (my memory of work yesterday) or very strong (memories of my wedding day).

I think this varies from person to person, but my "scaffolds" are made stronger with a few things. A strong emotional reaction, be it good or bad, definitely makes the scaffold stronger. A highly detailed experienced also makes the scaffold stronger, so doing a lot of math combined with detective work (999) will create a very strong memory. Repetition also helps - another strength to 999.

I think it takes more than one of those factors, though, to make a long-lasting memory. I played a lot of Farmville when it was popular, but I don't remember anything about it, so repetition alone doesn't work. Minecraft, on the other hand, is very repetitive but also creates in me a deep feeling of satisfaction and peace, so I remember many more of the things that I've done in that game.

Working on spreadsheets for my job is highly detailed but very forgettable. Making a game is also highly detailed, but very much a labor of love, so I remember the games I made pretty well.

The only exception is a strong emotional reactions. I remember those for a long time, without anything else.

I'm very invested in memory because mine is very bad at times. The period of my life between the ages of 11 and 18 is a huge blur for me, and some days I feel a profound sense of loss. I don't want that to happen again.