For this week's episode 3 prompt, we were asked if we would agree to implant a chip into our brains to help improve our memory. If we were willing to let people poke around in our brains just so we can remember things better and longer. Or instead, just remain as we are.
Chips that can enhance our memory sound very sci-fi, futuristic, and techy. What other words can we use to describe technology that doesn't exist yet?
But is the whole thing truly futuristic? Well, I haven't heard about such technology being invented in real life. But the experience, or should I say a condition, just like that exists, and it is called hyperthymesia. A rare condition where someone can recall almost every day of their lives in vivid detail — dates, events, even what they ate or wore on a given day years ago.
At first, I thought my answer was yes. Because I know myself to be a chronic forgetter. And sometimes the frustration just makes me wish I could have something that would make me never forget.
You know how people forget something or where they kept something and only remember when they find it. Yeah, my own sometimes is a little bit different, even when I find whatever I am looking for, I never remember, no matter how hard I try. That is why whenever I remember how bad I forget I dread collecting things from people.
The last laboratory instrumentation we did in school, we were two group leaders who demonstrated the practical for the group. After the practical was done we started looking for the group list. We searched everywhere for it and we're among the few people left with the lab attendants. We gave up and the boy helped me as we went through a list of over 195 students for the names of ten people we could hardly remember.
We spent so long and were halfway through the list when I got tired and rested my hands in my lab coat just for me to touch a paper. I still didn't even suspect and thought it was probably something I kept there since. Just for me to bring it out and it was the list. Till today I have no memory of keeping the paper in my pocket. Thank God the guy who was helping me didn't get angry at me for wasting his time.
So many other times I wish to forget things at a very crucial time, and there are some I never even found. So don't blame me if I fantasize a little about putting a chip into my head that would solve my forgetting problem.
But just like every other thing, Sigh, there is always a downside, just like there is always a shadow where light is.
The only problem I see with it is if I can't choose the memories to keep. Imagining, remembering mistakes and horrible, painful events vividly. That would be a huge burden I am not sure I can deal with, or want to deal with.
If I can choose what I want to keep, throw it my way. I don't really care about people poking around in my head, people get surgeries every day, so I won't be the first or last, only if there is no risk, of course. I can't play with my life, lol.
But I also believe that everything we are given naturally is what we need. So if we weren't born healthy with chips in our heads then we don't need chips in our heads.
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