We tend to think of people’s memories as being either good or bad. However, you might know someone with a terrible memory for names and faces who is very good at learning languages. Another person might have an extraordinary ability to recall past events in detail, but they struggle to memorise phone numbers.
These apparent contradictions are the result of our memories’ complexity. In fact, our memories are made up of various systems, which are supported by an array of neurobiological structures and mechanisms that vary depending on what we are learning and how we learn it.
