Can we change bad memories? In this adapted excerpt from "How to Change a Memory" (Princeton University Press, 2025), author and neuroscientist Steve Ramirez recounts the events that led him and his colleagues to discover memories could be artificially controlled in rodents, by tapping directly into the brain.
Feelings like anxiety are hard to understand because they're often invisible to everyone else. But they're part of everyday life. We all regularly experience bouts of stress and anxiety. What if the job interviewer doesn't like me? Should I cram tonight for my exam tomorrow? What should I say on my first date?
