1. Lions 2024

    Memory is a force of nature that is taken into large account in our existence. It shapes our views or perceptions, our identities, and takes us deep into our past. It is remarkable attribute of the human mind, having the ability to recollect the past. We can use this tool to preserve desired moments, emotions, and experiences long after they have slipped from our minds. Even though it is quite complex, memory remains one of the most vital phenomena to understand in great detail.     At its core, memory is the brain's function to encode, store, and retrieve information. It is pretty straighforward yet many think of it as very complex with a labyring of intricacies. Our memories are not static but instead dynamic constructs, having the possibility to transmute and even be fabricated! Our memories undergo serveral changes throughout our lives as we change our belief system, biases, and emotions.     The mind is facinating for the ability to be very selective. We do not remember ev

Taste of Time      My childhood can be just about summed up by three distinct flavors: the "toastiness" of Frosted S’mores Pop-Tarts, the sweetness of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and the tanginess of Skittles. Though it's been ages since I've had those nostalgic treats, I still remember how I used to gobble them down. I would always break off the edges of the Pop-Tarts to get to the good stuff faster, pick out all the purple and red Skittles, and leave behind a bit of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the bowl so that the milk could be sugary.      After reflecting, I realized that what made these foods so special to me was not just because of their tastes; it was because of the experience. Without realizing it, each bite I took was a solidification of my childhood, creating a world filled with wonder and innocence inside my head, where the biggest worry was whether there were enough purple Skittles in the bag. Those moments of simple pleasure unknowingly became ingrained in my

When was the last time you turned on the TV and thought “I’ll just watch whatever is on right now” or even said to yourself “my favorite show is finally on?” Well, for me, those thoughts remain memories as the era of live and cable TV is coming to an end. I am someone who really enjoys dramatic TV shows with several episodes and seasons, but I started to realize how many of us moved away from live television and focused on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, and more. I thought it was crazy how I used to watch TV shows on cable and have to wait a week or two for the next new episode, until recently.  One of my favorite shows that is originally from The CW, All American, first aired live in October 2018 and has been renewed for a sixth season. I had watched seasons one through five on Netflix and did not even realize that it was actually a show from a local TV channel. I had gotten so used to streaming services that the concept of cable TV simply slipped my

           (Image Credit: Dreams | Spirizia )           “Tell us about your interest in chemistry. What area(s) of chemistry do you find most interesting, and why?” The screen on my 15.7 inch Lenovo IdeaPad had been displaying these two questions for the last two hours, and yet, the page below was still blank.            I couldn’t comprehend why the page was still left blank. I had written multiple essays like this for previous internships and summer programs I had applied. So why was it taking me so long to write the same thing?             I gradually started typing: “My interest in chemistry stemmed from a spectroscopy lesson in . . . It’s such a universal study that impacts all different fields. . . I want to be a part of the journey of developing new nanomaterials using chemical synth-” I stopped. I thought for a moment. I thought for another moment. Did I just want to be part of this journey because of a chemistry lesson? Is that it? Am I making my life choice based on one lesso

Sure, many Americans know what a national landmark is. Most will probably be able to name a couple—Angel Island is one in the Bay Area. But only a few will be able to recognize and identify the specific reasons why a national landmark becomes a national landmark: the history and sentiments that are trapped within the walls of a landmark that our country has decided to honor as a National Historic Landmark. These landmarks also have a significant importance in the memories they create and preserve for many Americans. For example, Angel Island represents memories of immigration to the United States. And while the last group of immigrants passed through Angel Island in 1940, the memories of the place will last for generations. By preserving these places and landmarks and safeguarding them from destruction and future development, the government is playing a pivotal role in preserving the memories for generations to come.  But also, by preserving these landmarks, we are also reminded of our

  Why do things sometimes seem better in the past than when they are re-explored in the present? I can remember so many times when I was disappointed upon rediscovering something I really enjoyed when I was younger. Rewatching Barbie’s Thumbelina last week brought back so many memories. I was a big fan of the movie when I was younger and was excited to rediscover it. Even though I knew my expectations would be higher for the rewatch, since the movie came out in the early 2000s, the animation style and character designs were much rougher than the smooth animations of today’s movies. It was a bit hard for me to get used to the difference and it was hard for the movie to contend with my expectations for a good movie today. Despite the average experience, I still see the movie in a good light. Similarly, reading some of the old stories I wrote made me feel embarrassed that I ever thought the plot was good. However, after a while, I would always crave a reread, expecting to enjoy it thoroug

Does Mr. Monopoly wear a monocle? Does Mickey Mouse wear suspenders? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you have experienced the Mandela Effect—neither of those characters actually wear those items. The term originated in 2009 when researchers noticed that people commonly claimed that Nelson Mandela had died in prison in the 1980s, even though he was actually still alive. Since then, more examples of mass mis-remembrance have been occurring, whether they are misconceptions over the clothes a cartoon character wears or over a popular line delivered in a hit movie. Remember that scene in Star Wars where Darth Vader says, “Luke, I am your father”? You shouldn’t, because he never actually said that—Darth Vader actually said “No, I am your father.” Yet, most people familiar with the Star Wars franchise would insist that Vader began his statement with Luke’s name. Defined as a “popularized phenomenon in which a group of people collectively misremember facts, events, or other

The Mozart Effect was first popularized in the early 1990s and gained widespread attention due to a study suggesting that listening to Mozart's music could temporarily improve spatial-temporal reasoning skills. The notion that music can influence cognitive abilities persists, prompting further research into this phenomenon's mechanisms. More recent studies have focused on the role of music in memory recall, particularly for information that holds emotional significance or personal meaning. Music has been found to evoke strong emotional responses, which can enhance memory encoding and retrieval processes. For example, listening to a song associated with a significant life event may trigger vivid memories of that experience, highlighting the powerful connection between music and autobiographical memory. Furthermore, music has been shown to enhance the focus and attention of young children, making it a valuable tool in educational settings. Research suggests that incorporating mus

Reading the article “Why We Romanticize the Past,” published in the New York Times, I gained insight into the science behind the subjective nature of our memories, which act more as reconstructions influenced by current biases rather than perfect records of the past. In particular, there is the fading affect bias, and according to Professor Felipe de Brigard, it serves as “a coping mechanism” that enhances one’s ability to persevere (Xiong). Doctor Ethan Cross finds that people tend to space themselves from their past, viewing those memories similarly to “how we might think of another person” (Xiong). Intuitively, this makes sense, as there seems to be a relentless desire to justify past events and fit them together into a well-written story. In my personal experience, I catch myself growing nostalgic over the most mundane things, demonstrating the extent to which the previous studies apply to my life. For example, I somehow began romanticizing the studying of AP European History last

     Recollection is one of the gifts we humans have. We can remember our past and take that into consideration to decide our future. Each decision we take today will have an influential effect on our lives in the years to come. But how do we perfect this art of remembering and gaining the most for the future?      It comes from the experiences inhabited by the person. For example, if person A lived in a rugged small apartment in New York, an urban area, it is quite likely that this individual would be willing to live with minimal resources and be independent in such a large community. On the other hand, person B could be living in a large and fancy house yet not value each item they possess. But this is impossible to change as we are all born in a certain way and have no control on the starting point of our lives. It is the growth that matters. It is the positive morals that are gained through every interaction.      So what is actually possible to change? If the starting point is imp

  From a young age, I was fascinated with air travel and exploring new places. As we all know, the pandemic really put a strain on the overall travel experience, and now that it has been four years since the beginning of the pandemic, I have started to recall more memories of my travel experiences before, during, and after the pandemic.  Starting with pre-COVID travel, the last time I flew internationally was in December 2019 and January 2020. Not only was this the last time I flew before the pandemic, but very close to the beginning of all pandemic restrictions. Everything was fine on the first way of my trip, but I started realizing there were some changes on the way back home. My family and I had a layover in Hong Kong and due to the long layover time, we planned to explore the city. But in January 2020, there were frequent announcements at Hong Kong International Airport warning passengers about a new “coronavirus” that had been spreading in Mainland China and to report any flu-lik

I’m generally a pretty forgetful person, not pulling up my curtains one day and leaving my homework at home the next. Sometimes, however, this forgetfulness is an advantage since I could pretend that I forgot to do something that I did not want to do. Thinking about how I pretend to not “recall” something makes me wonder what it would be like to physically be unable to recall information.  In psychology class, we learned about multiple types of amnesia a few months back. One of the types of amnesia, retrograde amnesia, makes a person unable to recall their memories and is often triggered by illnesses, incidents, and other medical conditions. I can not imagine how difficult it must be to try to communicate with someone you know who cannot remember anything about their past or the relationship they had with you. Unfortunately, there are many people who have had to contend with loved ones no longer remembering who they were. I still remember watching a documentary in sixth grade detailing

  (Image Credit:  When Marnie Was There (2014) - IMDb )           Alameda County Library - the Fremont main library. The one with the huge windows on top. The one with the kids story time at 7 PM every Monday, where I used to sit in a circle and get exactly one Reese's Peanut Butter Cup at the end. The one where I found my first and last series of books that I actually enjoyed reading - Mr. Putter & Tabby . The one where I spent all my time not reading books, ironically, but picking out which movies to watch for the week. The one my mother would never fail to take me to at the end of each Monday no matter how long or busy her workday was.            But most importantly, the one where I met Marnie for the first time. I remember that day vividly. I ran to the shelf and that’s when I first saw her - her wavy blonde hair, the blue eyes. She was hold hands with another girl, Anna. They were the complete opposite - Anna had bead-like, blackish-blue eyes, and short dark hair. But som

Between Remembering and Forgetting        “No, I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast this morning,” is what I said to my dad in a recent conversation where he asked me about something that happened last week. As sarcastic as it may sound, this phrase is widely used and actually underscores a fundamental truth about memory: its capricious nature. While we may joke about forgetting seemingly mundane details like breakfast choices, the reality is that memory lapses are a universal phenomenon that affect people in one way or another throughout their lives.      In order to dig deeper into the relationship between remembering and forgetting, we have to consider the conversations and sensations that make up our daily lives. From the moment we wake up, our brains immediately begin to be saturated with a ceaseless stream of information. Therefore, it is no surprise that a few details slip through the cracks in the intricate maze of memories as the brain works hard to take in all the n

“When life is hard it’s easy to focus only on the bad things and forget all about the good things.” When the famous American evangelist Billy Graham first said this, he likely meant it with a religious meaning—to focus on the God-given blessings in one’s life rather than on one’s hardships. But now, I want to examine this phrase more literally. Why is it that even the smallest misfortunes can overshadow all that is great in a person’s life? Chances are that you have gotten a bad test grade once in your life, and even though your overall grade in the class was still fine, that poor score still bothered you for the rest of the day. The fact you even remember that test is a sign of how you—and most other people—remember bad events in their life much more vividly than good ones. And the reason why isn’t that everyone is just naturally pessimistic. Rather, the long process of evolution over the past hundreds of thousands of years has trained our brains to “focus on the negative” because re

While I was reading my AP Psych textbook, I came across a section regarding dreams and repressed memories. It brought up the question of how our brain decides which memories to keep and which to toss away, so I decided to research this topic further.  As soon as we go to sleep, our brains get busy sorting through the day's events, deciding what's worth remembering. This happens in stages, from light to deep sleep, with dreams showing up most often during REM sleep—the time when our brains are super active. According to experts, dreams are like our brains trying to make sense of all the random stuff they're processing. It's almost like watching a movie made from snippets of our thoughts, feelings, and memories. Some people can control their dreams, almost like directing a movie in their sleep. This is called lucid dreaming, and it's like having a front-row seat to your personal theater of dreams. Recent studies suggest that lucid dreaming might help us deal with tric

This Monday, millions of Americans witnessed a total solar eclipse, a once-in-a-lifetime event that is iconic for so many reasons. While the eclipse lasted a few hours, the memories Americans will hold of it will last much longer.  I recently had an opportunity to read the article “ Highlights From the Total Solar Eclipse’s Dark Path Through the U.S., Mexico and Canada” (published in the New York Times ) which detailed several Americans’ experiences watching this iconic solar eclipse.  One new couple “exchanged wedding rings” and then “[donned] eclipse classes.” College students at “ S aluki Stadium at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale ” attend an eclipse viewing party, where fun games and an exciting game capped off the morning’s festivities.  In general, the events presented a moment where Americans from every state had an opportunity to build community. It was remarkable to see how special events can help people become united, especially during a time when it seems that po