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David Eagleman says post-9/11 study found ‘flashbulb’ memories drift

StarTalk Radio · How The Brain Perceives Time, with David Eagleman · August 31, 2026
David Eagleman says post-9/11 study found ‘flashbulb’ memories drift
StarTalk Radio
StarTalk Radio
How The Brain Perceives Time, with David Eagleman
"And it turns out that both memories, both the banal memories from September 10th and the extremely emotionally intense memories from September 11th, they all drift. They drift around entirely."
David Eagleman says colleagues interviewed New Yorkers who saw the World Trade Center towers collapse, asking detailed questions about 11 September 2001 and about ordinary details from 10 September. He says follow-ups over time, including 10 years later, found that both vivid 9/11 memories and banal day-before memories changed substantially, while repeatedly reinforced public facts stayed more stable.
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StarTalk Radio
StarTalk Radio

How The Brain Perceives Time, with David Eagleman

September 1, 2026 · 1h 4m · 5 Egleze moments
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