The BIG idea (part 1)

Reminds me of Memento...

I know some people hated that movie, and others loved it. I'm in the latter camp, mainly because I found myself grateful to have my short term memory and acutely aware of how debilitating it could be to lose it.

I'm intrigued by the idea of someone with short-term memory loss testing user interfaces. I haven't seen a truly intuitive user interface on a piece of technology since the old bakelite ring-tone telephone my parents used to have, and am of the opinion that even the most intuitive UIs we use today are only intuitive once you've been shown them.

How bad is your memory loss exactly? Can you remember your password for ZDNet.co.uk? (I hope so). Can you remember using operating system UIs, or do you have to learn from scratch every time you sit down at a computer? If you do start from scratch, I could see how that could indeed be a valuable asset to UI designers.

Posted by matt loney on Jun 19, 2007 12:42 PM

The equations of life and health are changing: there are going to be millions more physically healthy old people arould with severe mental deficits, and no way that intensive people-based care is going to be able to look after them. The economics are broken, and will remain so... until we automate our way out of it. We can't replace short-term memory. We can build environments that minimise the effects of such problems, and maximise the independent -- even productive -- lives of sufferers. It's a hard problem, but we're quite good at those, once we buckle down to them.

What this means for the quality of life, I cannot say, but it's the sort of thinking that can only help. And it's the sort of development where you could well have a part to play. Over to the scientists and entrepreneurs...

Posted by Rupert Goodwins on Jun 19, 2007 6:17 PM

Kisunssi, hi, I investigate human memory and have been doing so for 22 years. If you want some explanations in this area, I can probably fill-in information doctors haven't made very clear. Could computers be made to help? They could be, but it's complicated, because Short Term Memory (a selective filter of 6 seconds duration that works on what is personally important) is only an early stage of processing in what is a complex connective system. Very often, if memories are processed, it's not the memory that is lost, but access to it. If you connect an EEG to a computer, you see a "star" shaped search pattern, because if you provide, for example, a single visual stimulus, the associative memory hierarchy will connect to various neuronal chemical representations of what is stored. But for a computer to "help" with already-stored access, you need to program in personal "meaning" and to do this, you have to tell the computer, the things that are personally important to you as a first step. A connective diary. Thereafter, a voice-activated computer can use an advanced "look for" program to give you a selection of possibilities. To deal with first stage processing STM yes, there is a way a computer can help, but there won't be space to put it here !!! Lindsay

Posted by Lindsay Fraser on Jun 20, 2007 12:08 PM

One quick question. Do you know if your "span of attention", that is primary recognition of symbols is affected? Have you done tests for this? You can send me a private message if you like, and I'll be back on-line, I hope on Friday , to give you a reply
Lindsay
I'm just going to try and open my first blog on the subject of STM and how computers might help so if you'd like to take a look there and comment, you're very welcome

Posted by Lindsay Fraser on Jun 20, 2007 12:20 PM