Chapter 6. Question and Answer on Attention and Memory

Any questions about attention and memory at this point? Yeah.

Student: [inaudible]

Professor Paul Bloom: Yeah. Why does it work that way? Why is it — Why do things that become very practiced become automatic and involuntary? It's a good question. I don't know. We know that they do. We know that once you — that you can't not read once you know how to read. You also can't not listen. If I'm talking to you and I'm extremely boring, but I'm talking to you, it's very hard not to listen. You can't shut off your ears. You could put your fingers in them but you can't shut off your — You also can't shut your eyes without actually shutting them. You can't say, "This is a disgusting movie. I'm not going to attend to it." [laughter] So, that's not answering your question. It's just saying that your observation is a right one and a more general one. When you're good at something and you're over-practiced, it becomes involuntary and you cannot stop it. Okay. Well — Oh. One more in back. Yes.

Student: [inaudible]

Professor Paul Bloom: What now? Sorry. Over there. Yeah.

Student: [inaudible] right before his accident?

Professor Paul Bloom: Did he remember things before his accident? Yes. He had some amnesia of events before his accident but he did remember things. He knew his name and he knew other things about his life. Okay. I'll see you next week.