Memory lapses ‘key part of learning’

It is a common, yet embarrassing, scenario but British scientists have offered an insight into why we forget people’s names only for them to return hours later.

Scientists have observed that, in all animals, memories that can be recalled several hours after learning them may become inaccessible for brief periods after their formation.

It is believed such lapses occur because they are a necessary part of the brain’s process to consolidate memories.