The brain stores at least 3 copies of every memory

Swirls of fluorescent magenta are shown against a black background. There are also spots of white dotted along the swirls. .

Memories evolve throughout our lifetimes, changing as we learn and experience new things and as we recall a memory repeatedly. And then, memories degrade as we age.

Previously, scientists thought that this malleability was the result of changes in the brain cells that originally encoded the memory, and they believed these cells stored just one copy of every memory in the brain. However, new research suggests that might not be true.