Neuroscientists successfully test theory that forgetting is a form of learning

"Forgetful? It might actually make you smarter, study says" (2019) https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/30/health/poor-memory-smarter-st... :

> [...] as new brain cells are formed in the hippocampus -- a region of the brain associated with learning new things -- those new connections overwrite old memories and make them harder to access.

Adult neurogenesis > Implications > Role in learning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_neurogenesis

"The Absent-Minded Professor" (1961) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Absent-Minded_Professor

Absent-minded professor (stock character) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absent-minded_professor

The paper:

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(23)010...

I have severe ADHD, the sheer volume of things I've forgotten must make me one of the smartest people alive

For me the most impressive thing is that a memory can be localized to a particular group of brain cells, and then forcibly recalled through external stimulation. Makes me wonder about the future of optogenetic methods for human neural interfaces and the potential for abuse.

I've been learning a lot lately.

Then I reckon the amount of stuff I've forgotten would put me in the Einstein class. Trouble is I'm closer to the other end of the spectrum. So what gives?