Apollo Creed knocks black-eyed Rocky Balboa to the mat. Rocky’s trainer, Mickey, pleads with him to stay down so the fight can end. Adrian walks into the arena as Rocky gets back up. Soon, the crowd is chanting Rocky’s name. And I … honestly cannot recall who wins the match.
I have seen every Rocky movie numerous times, which is why my husband and I were thrilled to introduce the original 1976 film to our kids. Somehow, though, I did not remember that the fight ends with a (spoiler alert!) split decision that gives Apollo Creed the victory.
Truth is, it’s not just Rocky. My husband and I have been sharing many classics with our kids, as well as more recent movies. During the viewings, he is constantly telling the kids, “Watch what’s going to happen next.” More often than not, I have no idea what’s about to come. This got me thinking: Why do I forget most of the movies I see? And how does my husband remember every detail?
The Science Behind Memory
David J. Linden, a neuroscientist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says people differ in memory ability, just like any other skillset. “There are some people who are quite good at memory for certain kinds of events or certain kinds of facts. Someone else may be really good at putting names to faces or recalling everything they read off a page,” says Linden, the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality.
