What is earliest memory you have? Anyone distinctly remember as an infant?

[TheVrolok]

I humbly agree with you BUT in my studies of the workings of the brain ... snip ... We know so little of how our brains or a dog's brain accomplish this we are still unsuccessful at developing AI.

Appreciate your insight. I'll certainly have to look at his work, sounds intriguing. Perhaps I should have better qualified in some of my earlier posts, even those in response to the other poster, that it is not necessary just storage that is the issue, but recall. Certainly things may be stored, but the actual act of recall is not standard and is significantly influenced by multiple factors. People think of it too much like computer software/hard (a memory is a file, and you open it, it's always the same every time, etc.) when that isn't really the case. You must have done some truly interesting work.

 

[quackagator]

I remember going to a picnic with my Dad and coming home with my Mom.

 

[Coulrophobia]

I remember playing a game at around 18 months with my parents.

 

[K7SN]

...People think of it too much like computer software/hard (a memory is a file, and you open it, it's always the same every time, etc.) when that isn't really the case. You must have done some truly interesting work.

The brain is adaptive and fluid, our ability to access it increased by repetitive use and discarded by non-use. One of the reasons I try to keep my brain working and learning new things. Dr. Prater, whom I took these classes from, was a retired Professor Emeritus from Cal Tech who had moved to Las Vegas and "keeping his mind working" offered to teach a class at UNLV. I was a computer programmer (DEC computer we wanted to mount in the belly of an airplane) working through the University for the EPA on campus. I also was asked to teach a couple undergraduate classes each semester . For each hour I taught I could take a hour of graduate credit (toward a PhD when UNLV got a program). Dr. Prater only taught two years (including in the summer) and I took every class he taught The classes were more of an exercise in thinking and lots of research at the library. Neural nets were the new rage and the "not yet obtained goal" was demonstrating AI using neural nets (Classes I had already taken). It was interesting but I was middle aged and didn't want to move to California to get a PhD but I had fun.

The R&D work I was doing for the EPA was "going to save the world" and when Dr. Prater's health prevented him from teaching I gave up the dream. Sure learned an awful lot and I've been blessed to not only study from him but to do"...truly interesting work" for the EPA first as a researcher at UNLV and then as a senior scientist for Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin). Now I just program when our government has the money and I really miss hacking (used in the earlier good definition of the term) new things. If I was forty years younger I'd be more in touch with the few good minds I've found on this forum.

 

[Linux23]

2 years old and I remember my uncle Jay dead on his bed. i was in my mom's arm when we came in. really surreal. can't believe a 2 year old would remember that type of crap.

 

[foghorn67]

I remember images from a university auditorium. Apparently, I was on a panel so to speak for a child development class. I was 6 months old. I always had those images from my earliest memories. I finally asked what the hell was that about when I was high school. Kind of dumbfounded my mom when I asked.

--edit--to make this clear, I didn't know what these images meant. I just knew I was on some sort of table with really bright observation lights, and hearing and barely seeing tons of people.

 

[DrPizza]

I asked my mom once about a trip to my uncle's house. My father carried me, we went on a bus, they had a gravel driveway, my cousins had tonka trucks, one you could sit on and dig the gravel. It blew my parents minds how many details I remembered, including crying as we went into the bus.

I also remember very well when my grandmother babysat me when my brother was born. Again, under / yrs of age. I could describe my playpen, toys, etc. perfectly, including the furniture layout and where my grandmother sat.

 

[TheVrolok]

The brain is adaptive and fluid, our ability to access it increased by repetitive use and discarded by non-use. One of the reasons I try to keep my brain working and learning new things. Dr. Prater, whom I took these classes from, was a retired Professor Emeritus from Cal Tech who had moved to Las Vegas and "keeping his mind working" offered to teach a class at UNLV. I was a computer programmer (DEC computer we wanted to mount in the belly of an airplane) working through the University for the EPA on campus. I also was asked to teach a couple undergraduate classes each semester . For each hour I taught I could take a hour of graduate credit (toward a PhD when UNLV got a program). Dr. Prater only taught two years (including in the summer) and I took every class he taught The classes were more of an exercise in thinking and lots of research at the library. Neural nets were the new rage and the "not yet obtained goal" was demonstrating AI using neural nets (Classes I had already taken). It was interesting but I was middle aged and didn't want to move to California to get a PhD but I had fun.

The R&D work I was doing for the EPA was "going to save the world" and when Dr. Prater's health prevented him from teaching I gave up the dream. Sure learned an awful lot and I've been blessed to not only study from him but to do"...truly interesting work" for the EPA first as a researcher at UNLV and then as a senior scientist for Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin). Now I just program when our government has the money and I really miss hacking (used in the earlier good definition of the term) new things. If I was forty years younger I'd be more in touch with the few good minds I've found on this forum.

Wonderfully fascinating. I'm sure you've got some great stories and much to teach.

 

[dud]

I was watching a special event on an old B&W TV. It involved a big funeral in Washington D.C.

The year was 1963 ...

 

[DCal430]

My earliest memories are me in a hospital waking up in a hospital bed, and also of me leaving the hospital. I remember the hospital identification band too. I was between 3 or 4.

Next earliest memory is watching Oliver and Company in the theatre, I was 4 or 5. This was my first movie a theatre.

Nothing before then.

 

[Possessed Freak]

I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.

 

[KeithTalent]

I honestly have no idea. I have a tough time determining whether the thing(s) I remember from when I was very little are an actual memory, or just from pictures I looked at throughout the years.

KT

 

[rh71]

don't remember anything beyond when I was about 10. My kids will be at Disney World for the 2nd time by 7 years old and I'm wondering if it's really worth it. At least we'll have digitally backed up pictures/videos forever right?

I wish there were videos of me when I was a little one in the late 70s. All I have are pics and a couple audio recordings.

 

[ultimatebob]

My earliest memories were around 3. I remember being afraid of toilets for some reason, but I liked spelling car names with blocks.

 

[Jaskalas]

2 years old and I remember my uncle Jay dead on his bed. i was in my mom's arm when we came in. really surreal. can't believe a 2 year old would remember that type of crap.

Trauma makes for a lasting impression.

 

[HeXen]

I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.

Like tears in the rain.

 

[Imported]

My earliest memory is probably around age 2. It was traumatic though and I don't really remember much after that until about kindergarten. Even those memories and to probably 3rd grade are pretty vague though and not instant.

I put a large red firetruck toy on a slide.. and obviously it broke. Cried for hours.

 

[brianmanahan]

Trauma makes for a lasting impression.

i distinctly remember seeing someone on the grassy knoll

 

[Gardener]

My end of the argument would be that you are aware of your supporting evidence and have used that logic to construct/alter your memories. Memory is incredibly unreliable, especially distant memory.

Although the memories recounted here are quite simple, and based on imagery, which seems to be the key to retention.

I have a memory from when I was around 2 years old, its not as clear as it once was, but I can conjure the image. Its more of a memory of a memory at this point.

Those cells have been overwritten, but some ghost of the image is still there.